


To Let The Dice Fall

by burlesque_articulation



Category: Borderlands
Genre: First Date, M/M, Mistakes Are Made, Modern-esque AU, content warnings will be at the beginning of chapters when they apply, misunderstanding at the local café, rhack - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-05-04 20:49:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5348039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burlesque_articulation/pseuds/burlesque_articulation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The local café recently got a cute daily regular, so what does Rhys the barista do? Put his number and the cheesy-iest pickup line he can imagine on the customer's next cup. It seemed like a harmless thing to do until the cup falls into the wrong hands. Is going with the flow really what Rhys should be doing? Probably not. But when has that ever stopped him before?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's a Pilot Chapter

"Can you relax? If you're really over thinking this that much, just don't do it, okay?" The barista next to him said, nudging him in the ribs as he twitched nervously.

"Sorry- I just, I dunno, you know? Isn't it weird, or something? And what if they don't even like dudes? Imagine how _awkward_ that will be." Rhys whined, leaning over the counter and huffing out a theatrical sigh. "It's so _dumb_ , too."

Yvette chuckled, stretching out her dark limbs. "C'mon, it's kind of cute, actually. Okay, maybe the crappy pickup line is pushing it, but hey, he looks like he'd dig that sort of thing. Besides, once summer ends, we'll both be done working here, right? What have you got to loose?"

Rhys pushed himself back up, smoothing down his uniform. She wasn't wrong. The pair of them had just finished their final year of college and were only working at the cafe until summer ended. Not that that really had much to do with Rhys' current, _predicament_. His real problem was a short brunette named Vaughn who'd become the cafe's daily regular since about a month ago. Every day at exactly 1:21pm, he would come in and order the same the thing- one XL mocha cappuccino supreme with a shot of espresso for an 'extra midday wake-up' he would explain every now and again when he didn't seem to be in a rush.

It was about a week ago that Yvette had wrestled a confession out of Rhys that he found the pocket sized brunette cute, and had then from there insisted that Rhys 'test the waters'. The only reason Rhys had agreed to indulge his crazy friend was because he'd been going through a bit of a dry spell for meeting new people. He wasn't really looking for anything super serious, but he was beginning to think that he was spending one to many lonely nights in front of the tv watching _Moulin Rouge_ on an endless loop.

"Alright, whatever happens, happens. Come what may and all that jazz. And I'll have you know that crappy pickup lines are _fantastic_ ice breakers."

"Mhmm, whatever you say. Just remember to give him the right cup or you'll have to come in over the weekend just to try again."

"Yeah, yeah." Rhys waved her off as the door to the cafe opened, making a small bell chime. The first of the morning rush. "Good morning, what may I get you?" Rhys greeted the customer cheerfully, allowing his irrational nervousness muddle into the very back of his mind.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to take a break?" Yvette teased him, standing on the wrong side of the counter, as if she were going to steal his break from him.

Rhys acknowledged her with a childish frown, folding his arms and placing his weight on his left leg. "Didn't you already take one for me?"

Yvette shrugged with a sly smile, walking back around to the right side of the counter. "What can I say? A girls' gotta eat, and a ten minute break just doesn't cut it."

"And _that_ , is why there is a lunch break, the time when you're supposed to eat. It's at 1:45, _not_ at 11:15." Rhys pointed out, shifting his weight back into a more comfortable position. Eyeing the clock that hung in the back, he smiled. It was almost 1:20 now. And instead of feeling nervous, Rhys was beginning to feel a little excited. He new it was a total cliche, but he couldn't help but be interested in seeing how it would work out.

"Boo. I think I should be able to take a lunch break whenever my stomach feels the need for one." Rhys snorted at his friend's exclamation.

"You'd never be working then."

"Mm, and then how would afford lunch? Quite the paradox." She sighed, stifling a yawn as the bell chimed. "Ooh, show time."

Rhys straightened up, smiling warmly. "Afternoon, good sir."

Vaughn returned the smile, bring his shoulders up before letting the sag as he came up to lean just a bit against the counter. "Good afternoon, Rhys. Hello to you to, Yvette."

"Hey, shortie." Yvette gave him a two finger salute before engaging a customer that had come in behind Vaughn.

"Will you be getting the usual, Sir?" Rhys asked in a mock-posh tone.

"Why yes, I think I shall." Vaughn copied along as he began to dig in his pants for his money. Rhys waited patiently, enjoying the slightly frazzled look that would cross the shorter man's face when he thought he'd lost or miss counted something. Finally taking that change, he muttered a thank you habitually before quickly counting over the change and tucking it away in the register. "Just a moment, then." Turning he made a silly face at Yvette who'd already made it to the machines. That face faded as she held out The Cup.

"Thanks." Rhys whispered, eyeing his writing as he took The Cup in his hand. Almost turning fully back around, a scuffle from the back drew his gaze as his arm extended the beverage out. "Here's your order, Sir." He said distractedly.

"Sorry I'm late for my shift, the traffic's nuts out there." Fiona apologized quickly before slipping into the back room again to change into her uniform.

Rhys was almost about to call out for her not to worry when the weight of The Cup left his hand. "Thanks, Pumpkin."

Rhys whipped his head around to watch as _Vaughn's_ cup disappeared out the door in the hand of a complete stranger, Vaughn being no where in sight until he popped up into view, causing Rhys to jump. "Ah, sorry, had to tie my shoe! Ooh, thanks Yvette! See you, guys!" He smiled dumbly before turning on his heel and leaving with the wrong cup.

Rhys continued to stare at the door with a vacant look in his eye as Yvette turned to him. "What the hell just happened, Rhys?"

Rhys' head just shook slightly. "I- I don't... Someone else has Vaughn cup." He said, more so to convince himself of what had just occurred.

"I know _that_. _Who_ has it, thought?"

Rhys gave a noncommittal shrug, his shoulders dropping low. "I don't even know. I didn't even see anything other then them walking out the door."

Yvette sighed, sucking on her teeth for a moment. "Did they at least have a nice a-"

"Yvette!"

"Okay, okay. It was a fair question, though." She mumbled as she turned around to go check on Fiona in the back.

Rhys sighed. Of all the possible scenarios that he'd concocted in his head- this hadn't been one. The feeling of excitement was now dead and replaced with baffled uncertainty. He couldn't even muster a shape to the person that had taken Vaughn's XL mocha cappuccino supreme with an extra shot of espresso. " _Thanks, Pumpkin._ " Was all he had to go on. Which _really_ wasn't a hell of a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off an AU prompt that just kind of screamed 'Rhack' to me. Anyways, thanks for reading!


	2. It's a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys figured the cup was history, and there was no point in loosing sleep over it, but events occur and he finds himself on a date with the mysterious cup-thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first things first, a BIG thank you to everyone who has read this, or left kudos, or subscribed, or commented, you guys are all awesome, and amazing, Thank You so much!

Rhys had remained in bed for the better part of the day. Even though it was his day off, he normally would have gotten up around 9:30 at the latest, but a peek at his alarm clock showed it to be 12:14 in the afternoon. A groan caught in his throat when he heard the sound of his phone receiving a text. Sending an arm out from under the warmth of the his blankets and pillows, his hand smacked over the nightstand until he finally grasped his phone. Rolling onto his back, he squinted at the screen.

_"Hey, you dead from embarrassment yet?_ "

_"Do not, Yvette. I am perfectly capable of wallowing in self pity without ur help."_ He shot back, letting the phone drop down beside him as he rolled over, burying himself into his pillows and blankets. It was a few minutes before his phone jingled again, dragging him out of his seemingly perfect trance.

_"Yeah, but then it's no fun for me."_ Rhys glared at his phone, preparing to respond, only to have another message pop up from her.

_"OMG RHYS!"_

Rhys eyed his phone suspiciously. _"What?"_

_"IT'S THE GUY FROM YESTERDAY!"_

Rhys frowned. _"What guy? And could u not w/ the caps?"_ He replied, his brain not clueing in until he'd hit send. _"Wait, r u talking about Wrong Cup guy?!"_

Time ticked by until seconds turned to minutes.

" _Yvette_." Sent at 12:17pm.

" _Yvette what r u doing_." Sent at 12:18pm.

" _Yve, no_." 12:18.

" _Pls answer me_." 12:19.

" _YVETTE PLS, WHAT IS HAPPENING._ " 12:22.

" _Jesus Christ, Rhys, I'm trying to work._ "

" _What happened? Was it wrong cup guy? Did they. ask. about me,?_ "

" _Damn u might want 2 get a glass of water rhys, ur sounding kinda thirsty._ "

" _YVETTE_." Rhys was now sitting up in bed, multiple pillows having fallen to the floor.

" _Ok, ok, I've had my fun. They asked if u were working, and I told them u had the weekend off._ "

Rhys read over the message a number of times before releasing a breath, settling back down under the covers. " _K. That it?_ "

" _Pretty much_."

Rhys nodded to himself, letting his arm drop down beside him, his gaze traveling to the ceiling above him. _This is fine. Totally fine._ Rubbing his eyes with his empty hand, he brought his phone back up into his line of sight, moving his thumb to turn it on, only to have the screen light up before hand as it emitted it's little jingle. Rhys frowned, swiping the screen and bringing up the message from the unfamiliar number.

" _Is this the number of Rhys the clearly Desperate Barista who conveniently has the weekend off?_ "

Rhys stared dumbly at the message, his thumbs hovering over the keypad. " _Depends on who's asking and why_."

There was a sort pause before a new message popped up. _"_ 'I can't seem to think _straight_ around you, how 'bout a date, Rhys'. _And I think you can fill in the blank as to who is asking."_

A stupid grin spread across his face as he read over his pickup line. He had put some honest work into that. " _Ah. I was not expecting this._ " Rhys replied, actually feeling pretty at ease. He had no idea who this person was, and person didn't know him either, so if things got dicey, he would easily be able to diffuse the situation by explaining the misunderstanding, without there being much of a loss on either end.

" _With a shitty pick-up line like that, I wouldn't expect anything either_."

Rhys snorted. This dude wasn't wrong. Before Rhys could reply however, another message popped up.

" _Ever heard of the Up Over Bar & Lounge?_"

" _Yeah, the place with all the neon lights and flashy sign near downtown, right?_ "

" _That's the place. Tonight at 9._ "

Rhys' brow creased. " _Pardon?_ " He sent back, rolling onto his side, his back facing the bedroom window as he started to kick off the blankets, the warmth becoming less pleasing.

" _For our date, ?. Don't be late._ "

Rhys stared at his phone until the screen began to hurt his eyes. _I don't even know what this guy looks like._ Rhys jumped out of bed, frantically dialing Yvette's number as he stumbled out of the bedroom and into the narrow hallway of his apartment.

"Rhys? What the hell are you cal-"

"I gots a problem." He blurted out, bare feet smacking against the floor as he stumbled toward the kitchen.

"What? What happened?"

"They texted me. _Wrong-Cup-Person texted me_ , Yvette. I- I don't even know if I have clean clothes. When did I do laundry last? I've got plenty of time and all, but I'll need half of it to mentally psych myself up for this... And what even, who goes there for a first date, I mean honestly..." Rhys continued to ramble, talking fast as he opened random cupboards, then closed them, not even taking a moment to look at the contents inside. "What am I going to do?"

"First of all, you need to stop mumbling. Articulate a bit. I'm not Fiona, I can't translate your stupid."

"I've a date at the Up Over Bar & Lounge tonight, and I don't even know my date's name. Much less what they even look like." The more Rhys dwelled on this situation, the more ridiculous it sounded. "Yvette, what do I do?" He cried, leaving the kitchen to throw himself onto the couch in the living room.

Yvette audibly shrugged. "I'uhno. Wing it, I guess? I mean, Christ, Rhys, you picked I bad time to start being so conscious about the fact that your actions have consequences."

"Point ignored." Rhys whined quietly, curling into a ball before kicking his legs out and flopping onto his back instead. "Ugh, maybe I should just tell them it was a misunderstanding, you know? Save myself the potential train wreck this is already turning into."

"Nah, do it. Go on the date."

"What? Why in hell would I do that? Why in hell would you support me doing that?"

"You made this bed, lay in it. Learn from your mistakes and all that jazz. 'Sides, you might actually hit it off with this guy."

Rhys scrunched up his nose, curling his lip. "Since when did you become such an optimist?" When there was no quick remark given, he started to look at her 'optimism' another way. "You know something, don't you? There's something you're not telling me."

"I- what?" Yvette drug out the last word before clearing her throat. "Look, Rhys, I've got to get back to work before Fiona starts getting in over her head. Deal with your mess, I'll check in with you after my shift is over. Probably."

"Yvette, what are you not telling me." He pronounced his words carefully.

"It's nothing, I just, I do know what this guy looks like and I, I think he might be your type, you know? He's your kind of attractive. Also, his name is Jack- or maybe Jake... Anyways, just go on this stupid date, and if things start taking a turn for the worse, diffuse the situation with the truth. Now, I've got to get back to work, goodbye, Rhys."

The line went dead on the other end, leaving Rhys alone with his apparently over-active imagination. Turning off his cell, he let it drop onto the couch cushion beside his face, then crossing his arms, he rested them across his forehead, closing his eyes. What had he done to get thrown into a situation like this? And what in hell had Yvette meant by his 'type'? Rhys didn't have a type. There were just people he was attracted too, and people he wasn't. And the last time he trusted Yvette's judgement, he nearly became the permanent arm candy for a gang leader.

He was still in contact with the guy, and they had their ups and their downs trying to deal with their history, but that really wasn't the point. The point was, Yvette wasn't always the most trustworthy individual. And she was none to have lapses of judgement.

Pushing himself up, he began his short trek back down the hall to his bedroom. If he really was going to go on this date, he seriously needed to do a quick maintenance check.

* * *

If you ever needed the perfect blend of classy and sketchy, the Up Over Bar & Lounge was your place. The outside looked like any well-kept bar, but once you got your ID thoroughly checked and actually got inside the place, you were thrown into a dimly lit lounge area where smoke from the dance floor hung in the air, mingling with the scent of alcohol and sex.

Rhys, of course, hadn't learned about the latter until that night when he'd walked in at exactly 9:00pm, dressed in a casual blue button up shirt, rolled up neatly at the sleeves with spotless black jeans, that were tight in all the flattering places. It had taken him nearly a half hour to decide whether to wear a plain tie, or to leave the top button undone. The fact that Yvette had refused to share any details about the mystery Wrong-Cup-Guy didn't aid him in making his decision either.

"Well, someone cleans up nice, dressing to impress someone, huh, pumpkin?"

Turning his head toward the faintly familiar voice, he caught sight of the speaker who was sitting in the corner booth Rhys had nearly walked past without a glance. "What, this?" Rhys gestured lazily to his attire with an arched brow. "Threw it together last minute."

Though had no intentions of admitting it to her face, Yvette had been right about the man's physical attractiveness. Before sliding into the seat opposite him. Rhys had given him a keen look-over. Short brown hair, styled back with his fringe swept to the side as if the man had recently ran his fingers through it, the lighting wasn't bright enough to determine eye colour, but he wore a plain white button up, sleeves carelessly pulled back, under a vest with casual blue jeans. He had a certain rugged-handsome charm to him.

"You gonna say something, or are ya just gonna stare at me?" Jake- or was it Jack? -the guy spoke up right after Rhys had settled into his seat. He was seated back with his arms crossed loosely over his chest, a smirk upon his face. "Not that I can blame you, I do have that sort of affect on people, y'know?"

"No idea. But I'm actually just a little shocked that that whole cup-thing actually worked." _Sort of_. Rhys bit back the last part.

The other man just shrugged, straightening in his seat as though to get a better look at Rhys. "I'll be honest, this isn't the first time someone's asked me for a date via a café cup. It's actually the reason why I ended up trying a new place - the last barista just wouldn't take no for an answer." He paused, swirling a finger next to his head. "But you, Rhysie, set a record. I wasn't even there five minutes. You fall fast don't'cha?"

Rhys struggled not to laugh at the assumption. The guy was hot, sure, but it still would've taken Rhys a solid work week to even consider asking the guy for the time of day, let alone asking him out. Luckily, he was saved from giving a reply when a rather busty barmaid came over to their booth.

"Why, Jack," (ah so that's what his name was) "What an incredibly unpleasant surprise. Here I thought you were to busy to come out and play anymore." The woman, grazed a hand on his shoulder.

"Mox' it's been to long, how's the- oh what's it now, fourth, fifth marriage?"

"Cute." She replied tartly before turning her seductive gaze on Rhys. "And speaking of cute, who's this?"

"Rhys. I'm Rhys." He answered, trying not to shift uncomfortably under the pair's gaze.

"Mm. The name's Moxxi, I run this fine establishment, and should Jack here give you any trouble you don't hesitate to give me a ring, I'll set 'em straight for ya." She practically purred, before reaching down to pull a notepad out of the belt that wrapped around her waist, her, uh, _uniform_ , not leaving much to the imagination of many. "So what can I get you fine gentlemen?"

"I'll just take the usual, what about you, pumpkin?" Jack asked, his tone insinuating that Rhys was probably out of his element here.

"I'd love a Whiskey Sour if it wouldn't be to much trouble, please."

"Sure thing, that just so happens to be one of my specialities, and personal favourites." Moxxi nodded her approval before disappearing toward the bar.

Rhys smiled happily to himself before catching the eye of Jack who was frowning.

"What exactly is a 'Whiskey Sour'?" He asked.

"A drink." Rhys replied bluntly, before quickly forcing a cough. "That, a, um, consists of, um, alcohol, and, a..." He trailed off, feeling the weight of Jack's amused look. "It's a cocktail."

"Ah."

Rhys shifted uncomfortably, before forcing himself to start the real conversation. "Anyways, uh... So. What, uh, what do you do for a, uh, job? Do you have any, uh, any hobbies?" If there was one thing Rhys was terrible at, it was starting conversations, but since he 'technically' initiated this date, it was common courtesy for him to lead the starting conversation.

"I work in management."

"Oh. Like, uh, Human Resources type stuff?"

"No."

Rhys' brow creased for a moment, before he exhaled slowly. Either this guy really wasn't interested in talking about his work, he wanted to see Rhys squirm uncomfortably. Either way, Rhys wasn't likely to have a good time. There's always the easy way out. "So, management... You must work for one of the corporations then, right?"

"What makes you say that?" His tone gave away nothing about how he was feeling about the topic.

_Oh god, please don't make this a date where I have to actively use my head..._ "Well, first of all, we live in a society under complete corporate control. If it isn't owned by a company, it will be eventually. Whether it be a place, or a person."

"Fair enough. But by following that logic, what company owns you?" Jack asked, nodding a thanks to the red haired barmaid that brought over their drinks. Her uniform was a far cry less skimpy then Moxxi's had been.

"Thanks." Rhys smiled politely, taking his glass in hand. "Well, I fall under the latter. I'm not owned by any company. I've been very particular about that. When I went to school, I went to a community funded public school, as was my college- of course both have been bought out now by two different companies- and the café I'm working at is still a privately owned business." Rhys replied, taking a sip of his Whiskey Sour, eyeing the generic beer bottle that Jack had to his own lips. _Pleb_.

"So you have no ties to any company at all? I find that hard to believe."

Rhys' head swayed. "Affiliation and Contracts are two very different things, Jack." Rhys said the man's name aloud for the first time. "During my last year of college, I hit a bit of a rough patch and started doing some freelance work, particularly with smaller companies like Anshin and Pangolin. Although, I've recently been doing quite a bit of work with Atlas."

"What kind of freelance work?"

Rhys was acutely aware of how him-centric their conversation seemed to be, but you could learn a lot about a person by what kind of questions they asked. "Tech. Specifically this new cybernetics stuff everyone's been scrambling to perfect."

"Mm." Jack articulated with an approving look. "That sounds like a useful skill set to have nowadays. But are you any good?"

Rhys always expected this question whenever his freelance work was brought up in conversation. It was what made having Atlas on his resume a good looking move. "I'll let the evidence speak for itself."

"Oh, yeah? What evidence?"

"You work in management, yeah? Regardless of for which company, that's bound to give you access to project papers from other companies, right? Well, let's delve into the fact that Atlas has been going down like a rockslide ever since Hyperion decided they were a threat. They'be been going down, sure, but they aren't gone, are they? Why? Because they are currently the company with the most successful cybernetics department. They're even giving Hyperion a run for their money."

"Well, I don't really think-"

"Ah, I'm not finished. So as I was saying," Rhys continued ignore the stare Jack gave him for cutting him off. "Atlas is kicking ass with their tech. Now, how do project papers play into this? Well, on every one of their most successful cybernetics projects, I can guarantee you, my name is on there. Obviously, I'll probably only be listed as a consultant since I'm not an employee, but whatever." Rhys ended his little speech by taking a healthy sip from his glass before leaning back with a cocky grin.

Jack arched a brow, leaning forewarn with his elbows against the edge of the table. "Are you trying to convince me that _you_ are the reason Atlas hasn’t died off yet?"

Rhys tensed his shoulders, tilting his head, then let his shoulders drop. "All I'm saying is that when Atlas takes risks, they are well calculated."

"Helps when they don't have anything to loose." Jack pointed out snidely.

"Of course." Rhys agreed. These were the types of conversations he could feel comfortable in.

"What's in it for you though? Keeping a company afloat isn't exactly a one man job. And if you've got special tricks that you're sharing with Atlas employees, then it'll only be so long before they don't need you."

"I stay for the experience. I get to tinker with all kinds of cool toys without selling my soul to do so. And, I am not sharing any of my tricks with anyone, employee or not. Besides, if Atlas does go under, I'm fairly certain there are plenty of other companies that'll be lucky to have me."

“Sure, sure, but, uh, I think by ' _if_ ', you meant ' _when_ '. Atlas is finished, there's no doubt about that, cupcake."

Rhys arched a brow at the other man's tone. Atlas seemed almost... Personal to him. Finishing off what was left in his glass, Rhys smiled. "Atlas is... _resilient_. It will take more then corporate sabotage dealt by _Hyperion_ , to make them role over."

Jack sat back, crossing his arms over his chest again after bunching up his shirt sleeves again. "Is that so." He said, rather then asked.

Rhys gave a subtle nod, feeling a quiet urge to change topics before their 'conversation' turned into more of a socio-economic debate. Idly tracing his finger around the top of his now empty glass, he spoke up. "So, any hobbies you're particularly fond of?"

Jack shrugged, his face going back to its unreadable expression. "I enjoy spending time at my rifle range every now n' again."

And we're back to the one sentence answers. Great. Either this guy was boring as hell or he really liked hearing Rhys do all the real talking. "Wait, your rifle range?" The other man tilted his head in recognition. "Mm hm." Rhys bit down on his lip, creasing his brow as he tried to think of what else to say. Why'd he have to get so awkward over the silliest things?

Jack shifted as though to get up. "I'm going to get another drink, start a tab or something. Want another one of 'them whisker sips?"

Rhys' expression didn't change as he tilted his head. "You mean Whiskey Sour?" Rhys corrected him as he stood.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say, pumpkin." He waved a hand over his shoulder as he walked toward the bar, his other hand jammed into his jeans pocket.

"It's a damn good thing you're cute." Rhys muttered, his expression relaxing as he smiled to himself. He had to admit, despite the occasional awkwardness, he was actually enjoying himself, and the self-satisfied feeling he got from the pet names Jack seemed to use habitually was something he could get you used too.

As he waited for Jack's return, he busied himself by getting a better look around the place. Dimmed blue and magenta neon lights ran along the walls of the lounge, giving the place enough light that you could pretty clearly see where you were going, but not enough that you could see someone sitting across from you in much detail. Next time he saw Fiona, he'd have to tell her about this place, it definitely seemed like her kind of scene.

The way to the dance floor was lit up to the right of the bar, the sound of some pop song barely audible from his distance, although he could practically feel the bass vibrating all the way to his corner booth. It filled Rhys with some mild curiosity. _Now if only you could dance_ , his head mocked his lack of rhythm.

Jack reappeared with a new bottle of beer and a glass of Whiskey Sour for Rhys. "Miss me, kitten?"

Rhys tried to answer with something savvy, but the words caught in his throat. "Sure." His voice cracked, nearly making him audibly wince.

If Jack noticed, he didn't let on as he handed Rhys his glass before sliding into the booth beside Rhys, causing him to shift over a bit. "You know, kiddo, I'm a little surprised you haven't asked me more about what I do for a living."

Rhys' eyebrows rose for a moment before he shrugged, taking a sip of his new glass of Whiskey Sour, or whisker sips as Jack had called it. "You didn't seem particularly keen to give me a real answer, and I'm not really one to force things."

"Hm, and yet here we are..." Jack shifted so he was facing Rhys, his tone implying that Rhys was fibbing.

"I merely made the opening move, you are the one that decided to play back, Jack." Rhys pointed out, taking another sip. It was getting harder and harder for him to continue acting so coy. "Mm, I'll have to ask this Moxxi lady for her recipe, this is extremely good."

"Nice change of topic." Jack picked up, taking a swing of his bottle.

_Why is he suddenly being so talkative?_ Rhys wondered. He eyed the man out of the corner of his eye, only to snap his attention back to the seat in front of him as he caught Jack staring somewhat intently at him. He prayed he lights were dim enough to not give away the scarlet tint appearing across his cheeks as he got closer to finishing off his second glass already. Swallowing, he prepared to switch topics when he felt fingers ghost across the side of his neck.

Tensing, his gaze shifted back to the man next to him. Jack's fingers traced lightly over the tattoo on Rhys' neck, the black symbol seeming to consume his attention completely. "When'd you get this?" He asked.

"About a year ago." Rhys replied with a light shrug. He eyed Jack's forearm where he, too, had a tattoo. "What about your's?"

Jack looked down at his, "I got it my last year of high school. Hurt like hell at first. Can't imagine what'd feel like to get one on your neck."

"Wasn't so bad." Rhys lied. It had actually taken him a weak to finally stop whining about it. Whining being the word Yvette had used, Rhys personally thought his _complaints_ had been justified.

It was a couple of minutes of silent drinking before they began getting back into conversing, mostly about high school, and their own college experiences, nothing too personal, but nothing too pedestrian either. It was roughly three more drinks later, and Rhys was actively eyeing the dance floor, which had grown louder as the night had progressed. _You can't dance_. His head actively reminded him in a sing-song voice. A guy can dream, though, can't he?

"You keep looking at anything particular, kitten?" Jack finally seemed to make note of Rhys' divided attention, his one arm thrown across the back of the seat, behind Rhys' shoulders.

"Nah." Rhys nodded, his head feeling just a bit light. But five or six cocktails and casual conversation was bound to do that to a person. Probably.

Jack smirked as he turned his attention to where a heavy bass line pounded from the dance floor. "Alright, c'mon, kiddo." He eventually said, setting down his likely empty bottle.

"Where we going?" Rhys asked, honestly not aware of what the man's intentions were. Maybe he'd drank more the six cocktails?

Jack shook his head, guiding Rhys up onto his feet easily. It was then that the full impact of the alcohol he'd consumed hit him as he stumbled towards the dance floor at the behest of Jack, lyrics from ' _Dancing Queen_ ' playing in the back of his head now instead of the constant reminder that he couldn't dance for shit. When the pair got to the edge of the dance floor however, Rhys still felt the urge to mention his lack of prowess in this new area. "I feel as though I should mention I can't dance. At all."

Jack let out a genuine laugh. "Don't worry about it, Princess, I got ya.” Jack said, a strong arm wrapping around Rhys’ waist as he guided him onto the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And secondly, I'm not sure if I should continue past this point, y'know? I mean this is a satisfying ending, right? And well, these hands were made for sinning, and that's what they're trying to do, so... Well, we'll just have to see, won't we, huh, kiddos?  
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed the read!


	3. It's a Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, hold on to your butts, because we're going on a long ride with this one! And, due to this, I feel I should mention that I cannot guarantee that it's going to be 100% humourous along the way. I mean, this is a Rhack fic after all... Anyways, hope you enjoy!
> 
> CW: drug mention, vomiting.

The music pounded from tall speakers, sending vibrations across the dance floor where Rhys had gotten lost in a wave of people and flashing lights, bodies indiscriminately bumping and grinding against one another. As the lights flickered between different colours rhythmically, smoke poured onto the floor in seemingly endless supplies.

Rhys had gladly forfeited all control to the man behind him who gripped him firmly by the waist, maneuvering his body with their own to any given beat presented by the booming speakers. Although the pair had been sucked into the centre of the pulsating swarm of bodies, Jack had kept such perfect control, keeping Rhys' body flush against his own, that Rhys had never once touched single other person the entire time. Rhys had vaguely been aware of this, but he was so breathless that he couldn't think to comment on it.

The current song seemed to be coming to an end as Rhys was spun around and pulled close against Jack, not a breath of air between their bodies. A giddy hum emitted from Rhys' throat as he tossed his arms around Jack's neck, bringing his forehead to rest against his dancing partners, their noses just barely brushing against one another's. Eyes closed, Rhys let out another content hum as they swayed in unison to the ending notes of the song, Rhys having long forgotten just how many songs had played since their arrival on the dance floor.

The song ended, and the crowd shifted, newcomers choosing this chance to take to the floor, while others chose those few seconds before the start of a new song to leave, Jack and Rhys being among those leaving. Rhys started making small noises of protest, but once he'd been guided off the dance floor and into the calmer atmosphere of the lounge, he nearly fell over from exhaustion. "Whoopsie." He snickered, leaning most (all?) of his weight on the stable force that was still held him snugly around the waist.

"Easy there, kitten, don't want 'ya to get broken now." Jack smirked at him before his gaze was drawn to the bar where he caught the busty lady's eye, who gave him- well Rhys didn't really care enough to bother describing it -a look with a smiling and a nod.

Getting back to their booth, Jack awkwardly maneuvered himself in first, pulling Rhys in to fall against him as he sat propped in the corner. Rhys pushed himself into a sitting position from there, one arm across the back of the seat for stability, one leg tucked under him, the other rested firmly against one of Jack's legs.

"For someone who said they couldn't dance, you were definitely something."

"Hm." Rhys' head swayed dizzily as he tried to focus on the man in front of him. "I did whatever you wanted me to do. It took no effort on my part."

Jack's lips quirked at the corners, his one hand still resting against Rhys' side, the other placed over the table. "I wonder if we can keep it like that, but I'd like to see a little effort."

Rhys' attention diverged, looking over the table instead. "Whatever you say." He hummed. _One glass, two glass, three-_ Rhys lost count as Jack's arm passed in front of his line of sight to grab a bottle Rhys vaguely remembered thinking was empty. Jack's arm brushed against one of Rhys' cocktail glasses, the sound of liquid sloshing in the cup peaking Rhys' interest. He reached for it, nearly missing it.

Jack's movement was a bit of a blur as he set his bottle down quickly, and slid a hand over the mouth of the glass before it reached Rhys' lips. "No, no, kitten, I think you've had enough." Jack wrestled the cup out of Rhys' grasp- which took next to no effort honestly -and placed it out of his reach.

"Pfft, plea _se_ , I' _m fi_ ne." Rhys unintentionally slurred his words, then giggled at himself, scrunching up his nose. "Uh oh." He placed his fingers to his lips as he giggled again due to a stray hiccup.

"You're cute, kiddo, probably why Atlas hired you, right?" Jack implied something as he picked his bottle up again and brought it up to his lips.

Rhys rolled his eyes, his head swaying in a similar motion, as he scoffed. "Atlas hired me," He pulled the bottle from Jack's unsuspecting hand, "Because I am _amazing_  with tech shit." He downed the quarter of the bottle that was left before Jack could stop him. Jack pulled the empty bottle out of his hand while Rhys made a grossed out look. Beer was really not his kind of drink. At all.

"Hell, Rhys. Do you always turn into such a lush after five drinks?"

"Five? Noooo. Ten? Maybe. But I mean, there's what, at least a baker's dozen of glasses here, right?"

Jack's brow creased, his face becoming very serious. It probably would've been scary if it Rhys didn't find it so simultaneously _hot_. "Rhys, what kind of work have you done for Atlas that wasn't cybernetics related?"

Rhys groaned, falling forward and burying his face into Jack's chest. "' _Atlas_ ' this, ' _Atlas_ ' that. If you've got such a huge interest in _them_ , next time sabotage _their_ date plans. Jeez." He complained, his words muffled.

"Excuse me? You wanna repeat that bit about 'Sabotaged plans’?"

Rhys ignored him, continuing his train of thought before he lost it. "I mean seriously, what's got you so talkative all of a sudden? Like-"

Jack's hand dug into Rhys' hip, his other coming down to grip Rhys' chin and bringing his gaze up to focus on him. "Focus here, Rhysie, what plans are being sabotaged?"

"Ugh, mine? Because you decided, _'Hey, there's a cup, must be mine.'_ " Rhys answered in a snarky tone. "You weren't at SpacePounds, there's no 'stand over there for your order.' At my café, the barista that you order from is the one that serves you."

Jack stared at him blankly for a solid minute. "Are you saying that that café cup wasn't meant for me at all?"

"A-duh." Rhys pulled his chin free, making an effort to sit back up. "Uhh..." The movement caused the room to spin and swirl around him, his eyes squeezing shut as he let himself fall forward.

"Rhys? _Rhysie—"_

Rhys groaned, burying his face into the warm, somewhat uncomfortable fabric, his head pounding like a drum. Inhaling a deep breath through his nose, he exhaled, rolling his head and slowly blinking open his eyes. It took a moment for them to adjust to the brightness of his bedroom as he laid with his head at the foot of the bed, a towel placed along the side of the bed. An extra precaution he did when he came home after drinking excessively.

Moments of last night flashed through his mind until he actively started to ignore them, focusing instead on pushing himself up into a sitting position. He definitely felt like he was hungover, and he was still in his clothes from last night- which smelt faintly like he had in fact vomited at some point. A steady look around told him that he hadn't unloaded his stomach while he'd been sleeping. Probably at the club then...

He couldn't back that thought up with anything substantial however, because he honestly didn't remember much after the dance floor. He wasn't even sure how he'd gotten home. Sliding out of bed, he decided to leave that heavy thinking until after he'd had a nice shower and at least one mug of coffee.

Stumbling out of his room and across the hall, he flicked on the bathroom light, then not even bothering with closing the door, he started a shower and stripped. A satisfied sigh slipped from his lips as the warm droplets fell almost therapeutically over his his skin, soothing his aching body. He savoured the feeling for a minute or two before he actually started taking a proper shower. When he was done, he turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel off its hook between the shower and the sink. Tucking it around his hips tightly, he then dragged his hands through his hair, shaking the water off of them before swiping one hand over the bathroom mirror, clearing away the light condensation. At least he didn't look nearly as terrible as he felt, his head still a throbbing reminder that he still needed his morning brew. Rhys blew a tired raspberry at his reflection before he flicked off the light and left the bathroom, pattering down the hall toward the kitchen.

Halfway there, a collection of smells attacked his senses, making his mouth water and his mind blank. Entering the kitchen, he went straight for the coffee maker first, pleased as punch to find it already on. Patting the side of the coffee pot, he was near ecstatic to find it was at the perfect temperature. Opening the cupboard above the pot, he pulled out his favourite mug, filling it to the brim. Setting the pot back on its heating pad, he cupped his mug in his hand, inhaling the heavenly scent before allowing his eyes to travel.

First, to his right where he eyed the double sink with wonder- all the dishes from the day before that he'd forgotten to do, along with a frying pan and few utensils he didn't remember using were stacked on ever so neatly on one side, the countertops were also spotless of any mess, as was the stovetop. A little weird, Rhys hadn't remembered being so meticulous before.

Turning his attention to his left, he looked down at the island, directly where an untouched plate of eggs, bacon, and toast sat. A little to the right of that was another plate sitting in front of a man who was placed on a stool across the island from Rhys, sipping from a mug Rhys assumed also had coffee in it. "Hm." He hummed, facing the coffee making again as he brought his mug up to his lips and started to take a sip.

"Damn, Rhys, I gotta say, lovin' the view you're givin' me."

Rhys' eyes slowly widened as he turned his head, the mug lowering down to rest on the counter. The man he'd neglected to actively noticed was now sitting back in their stool, gazing over him like he was a cake on display at a bakery that the man wanted to take home an devour as soon as possible.

Forgetting the gulp of coffee in his mouth, Rhys tried to voice his displeasure, only to have the dark liquid come cascading out of his mouth and splash down onto his bare chest. Clamping his mouth shut, he hurriedly turned toward the sink with his face aflame as he grabbed the dishcloth to wipe up the mess he'd made. Twisting his head to look back at Jack, he scowled upon finding the man leaning forward in his stool, his eyes definitely not looking above the waist.

"No, no, get out. Get out of my apartment, Jack." He threw the dishcloth onto the counter, one hand on his hip while the other pointed toward the door.

"Oh, come on, babe. After what a tease you were, I really don't think a little look is to much to ask for." Jack sat back in his stool, hands up defensively.

" _I_ _do_." Rhys cried, wrapping his arms over his chest when Jack's eyes started to wonder away from his face. "How'd you even get in here?"

"Same as you, the door."

Rhys shot a glare at the door to Jack's right, as if it was the inanimate objects fault some how. "But how do you even know where I live?" Jack exhaled slowly, crossing his own arms. Now that Rhys was actually looking at him, he noticed he was wearing the same shirt he'd been in the night before.

"I'm the one that brought you home last night." He answered, then shot back a question of his own. "Exactly how much of last night do you remember?"

Rhys shifted his weight, looking down. "Us leaving the dance floor and going back to the booth... A few other things... Like me mentioning the whole ordeal with the café cup." Rhys confessed, eyeing Jack for his reaction.

Jack's reaction was a look of honest relief, which made Rhys scowl. "Alright, well... You're bound to remember something eventually. Don't try forcing anything though, of course." Jack rattled out, face solemn as he lifted up the mug he was borrowing.

"Okay, but why can't you just tell me what happened?"

Jack set the mug back down, his tongue sliding out over his lips. "Trust me, kiddo, it'll be easier if you just wait it out. Now eat." He nodded to the plate in front of Rhys without another word.

Rhys squinted suspiciously at the man across from him as he reached under the island and pulled out a second stool from the alcove accessible from either side. Once he was settled, Jack returned to his own plate, leaving Rhys to his own devices. He started by poking at the eggs with his fork a couple of times for no particular reason, before finally giving them a taste. Wow. Rhys was appropriately surprised by how good they were, Jack seemed to have added some kind of spices or something to them.

Rhys was near hopeless in the kitchen, and hardly new half of what was in his cupboards on a good day. Without much though about the man across from him, Rhys started shoveling eggs into his mouth, alternating between that and bites of toast. When was the last time he'd even eaten?

"You might want to slow down there, Rhysie."

"Mm, sorry- what did you put in the eggs? They're great."

"Just a few spices and seasoning- and while we're on that topic, your spice collection is just sad." Rhys snorted at the man's words, swallowing a mouthful before picking up a piece of bacon.

"Well, if you can't tell, I'm not exactly a wiz in the kitchen." He bit down, savouring the crunch of it.

"Really? Could've fooled me with all these fancy appliances." Jack commented sarcastically, gesturing to the Dahl coffee pot, and Rhys' lack of even a microwave.

Rhys stupidly stuffed the rest of the bacon into his mouth as he started to laugh at Jack's sarcasm. Then even more idiotically, tried to swallow when he started to cough on reflex. Hunching over his plate, he started coughing, a strong sense of déjà vu coming over him, making his skin crawl. Anxiety stirred up in the pit of his stomach as his vision swam.

"Hey, you okay, pumpkin?" Jack asked, getting up from his stool when Rhys just continued to gag.

Rhys pushed himself off his stool, knocking it over as he stood in front of the sink, sputtering. Jack came around behind him, placing a reassuring hand on the base of his neck, just below the hairline. Rhys gasped as he completely lost focus on everything around him.

_Rhys knelt in front of the toilet, softly gasping as he tried to focus on the clear water in the toilet bowl, his head spinning, his hands gripping the edges of the toilet so tightly his knuckles were white. No matter how hard he tried to will himself to do it, he couldn't get himself to throw up._

_"C'mon, Rhysie, I need you to get this shit out of your system one way or another. I promise it'll make you feel better."_

_"I- I can't, Jack." Rhys swallowed, breathing through clenched teeth._

_There was a deep sigh from the man that stood against the stall door behind him. "Alright, but remember I gave you the chance to do this yourself."_

_"Wha- ack!" Jack's hand intertwined itself in his hair, vigorously tilting his head back. Kneeling down on one knee behind him, Jack used his other hand to grip Rhys' chin, forcing his mouth open before he slid two of his fingers back Rhys' throat._

_Rhys whimpered and choked, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to keep his tongue laying flat instead of fighting off the intrusion. Jack was practically tickling his uvula before his gag-reflex finally kicked in, bile rising in his throat as Jack yanked his fingers out of Rhys' mouth and forced his head to hang down over the toilet. Tears stung the corners of his eyes as he painfully unloaded the contents of his stomach._

_"There 'ya go, Rhysie. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Jack's hold on Rhys' hair lightened as seemed to be- what, stroking? petting?- caressed the back of Rhys' head in a comforting manner._

Rhys held his head in his hands, unaware of at what point he'd fled the kitchen to find solitude in the darkness of the bathroom. With his back to the closed door, he was vaguely aware of someone pounding on it from the other side, demanding his attention. Rhys curled his legs up to his chest, resting his forehead on his knees and sliding his hands over to cover his ears as he focused solely on his breathing. Tears burned the corners of his eyes, but refused to fall. Thankfully.

"Rhys, open the door." Rhys shook his head, tightening himself up as he tried to think clearly. It hadn't been excessive drinking that'd caused his blackout.

"Why?" He asked after the banging had finally calmed. "Why would you- what..." His voice cracked numerous times as he tried to form a coherent sentence.

Silence met him for a while, before there was the sound of Jack sliding down to sit with his back against the opposite side of the door. "I made a mistake. I thought... You should've told me that the cup wasn't meant for me."

"No, Jack, _you_ should just answer my damn question. Why would you do something like that?"

"I... I thought you'd targeted me for information about Hyperion."

Rhys lifted his head, squinting at the door over his shoulder. "Why?"

Jack stumbled over his words a bit as he tried to word an explanation before he just gave an exasperated sigh. "It's a little difficult to explain."

" _Try_."

There was a long, almost pained exhale before the reply came. "Well, first of all... I work for Hyperion. I'm the head of the Helios facility. Being so high up on the Hyperion food chain, it become... Not exactly uncommon, for people from rival companies to target me for any special info I might have on Hyperion." There was a brief pause before he added something else. "I admit, I usually put more forethought into these things, but you caught me off guard. And when you mentioned working so closely with Atlas, I figured..." He let the sentence hang. "Look, I'm apologize. Okay, pumpkin? I don't mess up a lot, but this time I did. I am... sorry."

Rhys wet his lips as he relaxed against the door- well, relaxed wasn't really the word, he was more or less just too damn tired to stay so tensed up. Leaning his head back he stared up at the ceiling. _What have I gotten myself into?_

"Rhys?"

His brow creased as he closed his eyes again. What was he supposed to say? Jack did seem genuinely sorry, but... still, this wasn't something you just forgave and then go on to forget about. "Are you always this nice to the people you drug?"

Rhys had meant it somewhat humorously, so he was glad when he heard Jack give a small chuckle. "No. No, definitely not. I normally take whatever information I can get out of them, and then leave 'em to wake up in rather compromising situations."

Despite himself, Rhys raised an eyebrow in interest. _No, Rhys. Bad. Bad, Rhys. Stop that._ It remained quiet for a while as Rhys tried to figure out what to do next. His choices weren't exactly plentiful. Eventually, he pushed himself up, bracing himself against the door as his vision went fuzzy from the sudden of movement. Taking a deep breath, at the return of his vision, he turned the doorknob and pulled the door open, Jack picking himself up off the floor as well.

His expression was sober as he waited patiently for Rhys to say something. "I... I don't forgive you for what you did- I don't think I can, really." He started, his eyes trained on the floor as he searched his mind for his next sentence. "But, I do accept your apology, Jack. And now, if you don't mind, I would very much like to change into something more than this towel."

He caught sight of Jack nodding his head as he moved out of Rhys' path to the bedroom. Rhys brushed past him, careful not to topple over as his head still pounded viciously in his skull. Gently closing the bedroom door, he waited silently for the sound of footsteps to fade down the hall, only then releasing a long breath. From there, he straightened up, took a few deep, controlled breaths, and began to hunt around for some clothes.

He'd done what he thought he could. Whatever happened from here, was surely out of his control, and Rhys was slowly becoming more and more content with letting the world figure out these problems for him. Fiona was probably right after all, when she'd say he just didn't worry enough. Was there really a point to starting now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the end! I hope it was still enjoyable- even if it did get a little dark near the end, heh. I plan for the next chapter to be a little more bright, if that helps?
> 
> [Feel Free To Ignore What's Below]  
> Anyways, I have a tumblr (burlesque-articulation.tumblr.com) where I'll probably rant from time to time about the fic, give heads up about when new chapters will be out, or possibly post deleted parts of the story. Also, if you want to just talk to me about the fic in general, ask questions about the au, or you just want to start a fight, feel free to drop an anon-or-not msg in my tumblr ask. 'Til next time, kiddos.


	4. It's a Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo sorry about the delay, you know December hit, holidays, then New Years, now exams. Busy, busy, busy! However! This story is way to much fun to write, so here you go!  
> Also, big thank you to everyone who gave kudos, commented, bookmarked, or even just read this! Ya'll are great.

Rhys trudged down the hall in grey sweats and a worn-out blue tee. Comfort first, of course. Coming to the kitchen archway, he peeked around the corner, aptly surprised by the sight he was presented with. He was able to conclude that while he'd been in the bedroom, Jack had taken it upon himself to wash the dishes that had begun to embarrassingly pile up in one of the sinks. Jack was actually just finishing up, pulling the plug out of the sink and reaching for a hand towel that hung over the oven door's handle with a matching partner.

"How ya' feeling, Rhysie?" The man asked without even passing a glance Rhys' way.

"I've been better." He considered the cliché response for moment, then added, "but I've also been worse, so I guess I can't really complain."

Jack eyed him for a moment before refolding the towel and slipping it back in its place. "Well, that's good, I guess."

Rhys decided to cross the kitchen then to where his mug still sat in front of the coffee pot. It was cold by now, but Rhys didn't mind that much- it wasn't exactly uncommon for him to make a cup and then forget about it, then remember it, only to forget it again, resulting in a lot of cold coffees being drank. Taking a sip, he relaxed his shoulders a bit, holding the cup with one hand before pulling himself up onto the counter between the coffee pot and the double sink.

Jack curled his top lip. "Are you seriously drinking that?"

Rhys' eyes darted from the mug in front of his face, to Jack. "Yeah, why?" He asked, holding the cup away from his lips, now eyeing it with suspicion.

"Well, first of all it's probably cold."

"So...?"

"It's got nothing in it- not milk, cream, or even sugar."

"Oookay?"

"And, and it's made with a freakin' DAHL coffee pot. It's not healthy. Or natural. At all." Jack gestured to the machine on the other side of Rhys in slight exasperation.

"Still not seeing your point here, Jack." Rhys replied, finally accepting that there wasn't actually anything wrong with the coffee, just Jack being a big baby.

Jack stared at him pointedly, before shaking his head. "You know DAHL puts cameras in all their appliances, right?"

Rhys made it abundantly clear that he had never even so much as considered such a thing as his face paled and he audibly swallowed.

Jack give him a now intrigued look. "That is not he face of an innocent man." Jack said, shifting his position, arms crossed with his back leaning lightly against the oven.

Rhys cleared his throat, facing is gaze forward, deciding to simply finish drinking his coffee rather then humour the insidious man. However, said man didn't seem particularly interested in ignoring the new possible topic of conversation that Rhys had unwittingly presented him with. "Can you not?" He asked, setting the now empty mug down as Jack ceased his slow creeping toward Rhys for a moment or two.

"Depends. Are you going to explain that genuine look of terror that just crossed you face?"

Rhys wet his lips, sitting up a little straighter as he kept his eyes trained forward. "I really don't see why I have to explain or justify anything I do in the comfort of my own home." Rhys replied flatly.

"Alright, I get that, but consider my point of few-"

"No thanks." Rhys cut Jack off, cocking his head to the side coyly as he finally looked at the man who now stood just to his left, not an inch away. "Besides, I don't share the fun stories until about the fourth date."

Jack eyed him for a moment before his eyelids drooped and his lips pursed. "That's hardly fair, how'd you expect anyone to put up with you for that long?"

Rhys considered being offended, but he figured that was his expected reaction. "I don't." He said casually, sliding a gaze over the man that was still slowly shifting even closer to him. "That's kind of the point."

"Uh huh... So you're one of those people with the 'there has to be so many dates before blah blah blah', right?"

"Mhmm. Five to be exact. People have said that that isn't very many, but then I've had people tap out by the second, so..." Rhys ended with a shrug.

"You must be quite the bore."

"I try."

Jack clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, now standing directly in front of Rhys, with Rhys' legs hanging on either side of him. Placing his palms on either side, he leaned forward just a bit. "Not hard enough, I see."

"Or maybe you're just too easy to please." The words had left Rhys' mouth before he'd properly considered them. That was not the move he'd intended to make. He should be trying to diffuse the situation, not egg it on and evoke the mounting tension further.

"Oh ho- care to put your money where your mouth is?"

Alarm bells started going off in the back of Rhys' head. _He's way to close, way, way, way,_ way _to close..._ Yet despite his personal opinion, Rhys found himself leaning towards those tempting lips...

_You have rules for a reason, Rhys._

Biting his own tongue, he pressed a finger between his lips and Jack's, a polite smile spreading across his face as he leaned back. "Sorry, but regardless of how easy you may or may not be, I know where I stand, and it's with a five date rule, Jack."

Jack looked flustered for a moment before an impressed smirk crossed their lips. "Alright, pumpkin. I'll play this game with you."

Rhys arched a brow, finally taking his hand away from lips. "Feel free to call it quits at any time."

"I'll certainly keep that in mind."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Silence hung between them as neither appeared to know where to go from there. Luckily, because the story relied on the plot continuing, it was at that time that the snippet of a song that mostly comprised of the words 'bubble gum bitch' started playing throughout the kitchen, making Rhys look around immediately for its source.

Jack stepped away, allowing Rhys to slide off the counter and pick his phone up off the counter where it lay on top of bunch of unopened mail and other equally unimportant things. "Hello, Rhys speaking."

"Oh, so you are alive after all. I guess I owe Fiona now." Yvette's lovely voice responded.

"Good morning, Yvette."

" _Afternoon_ , Rhys." She vehemently corrected him. "Anyways, what happened last night? Was it worth it, or what?"

"Uh..." Rhys trailed off, peering over his shoulder at Jack, who'd gone back over to the dishes that sat neatly in the dish rack. It appeared that he was going to finish what he started as started drying a plate with a dish towel. "Stuff, and I dunno really."

"Oh, sounds like there's more to it then that. Did you bang 'em? Are you going to see them again? Are you... At your place right now?"

"Of course I'm at my place, Yvette." He grumbled, turning around and leaning against the island. He then cleared his throat awkwardly when he noticed Jack eyeing him. "Why don't you just call back later, I'm not really in the mood for this right now."

There was a pause on the other end before Yvette replied with in a hushed tone. "You aren't alone are you?"

"Of course I'm alone!" Rhys replied just a tad to quickly, with just a tad louder tone then he should have used.

"Holy, Rhys. Fiona's told me horror stories from your clubbing days, but I didn't think you were actually that good. I guess I owe Fiona twice, then."

"No, Yve, I'm not- well, no I _am_. However! You owe Fiona nothing because I am one hundred percent alone." Rhys noticed Jack's mouth was opening and he immediately held up a finger and shot him a death glare. 'Do. Not.' He mouthed.

 _"Are you willing to bet money on that, beanpole?"_ Fiona's voice yelled from somewhere in the background.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work, or something?" Rhys sneered childishly, dragging a hand through his hair in irritation before tucking it back under his other arm.

"Nah, Fiona had the day off, and my day ended at lunch. We're actually headed over to your place now. YOu know, just to check in, see how you're doing and all."

Rhys bit his tongue, looking at Jack with a worried expression for a moment. Then an idea sparked. "Sorry, but I'm actually about to head out. Places to see, you know?"

 _"People to do, right?"_ Fiona's voice came over the line again, making him cringe.

"Yeah, sure, Rhys. We'll be there in fifteen. And even if you try to lock us out-"

 _"You gave us your spare key, idot!"_ Fiona finished the sentence for Yvette.

Unfazed, Rhys shrugged, momentarily forgetting that they wouldn't see that anyways. "Fine, whatever, come over. I won't be here though. Enjoy my empty apartment." Rhys hung up before either could have time to reply. Dragging his tongue over his teeth, he set his phone down on the island and drummed his fingers on the back of it. "Wanna go grab so lunch? I know a place not far from here."

Jack looked up from the dish rack that was still probably about half full. "Think you could spare five minutes so I can finish what I started?"

Rhys scrunched up his nose, flapping a hand idly. "Nah, leave it. They can air dry or whatever."

Jack scowled.

* * *

When Rhys had said that he 'knew a place', what he'd actually meant was the seasonal taco stand by the small park only half a block from his apartment building. Though Jack had looked upon it in distaste at first, after trying a bit of Rhys' burrito with the works, he didn't hesitate in ordering two of his own.

From there they began strolling around the park, which wasn't exactly bursting with people, just a few people with spare time on heir hands that wanted to enjoy the summer sun. Jack was the first to break he silence that had grown between them since they'd gotten their burritos.

"So are those two really going to show up at your apartment?" He asked between mouthfuls. For someone who'd shown meticulous etiquette beforehand, they certainly didn't seem to have a problem with talking while their mouth was full.

Rhys frowned as a primary response. "Exactly how much of my conversation did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of- oops, 'scuse me." His tongue darted out of the side of his mouth to catch the stray sauce, both hands holding a single burrito each. "It."

 _So is this a Jack in their natural habitat then...?_ "How polite of you. But yes, they most definitely will. I'll probably get a call from one of them soon." Rhys replied, taking a bite from his own burrito.

"Damn. They do that often?"

"Only when I wish the wouldn't." Rhys sighed, kicking a rock that lay in his path. "Anyways, uh... I, um, couldn't help but notice early, your eye colour, or eye colours, actually. Is it, like, normal? Or do you have contacts or something?" Rhys briefly considered it might have been a touchy subject when Jack didn't reply right away.

"Yup, I'm all natural, babe." He then swallowed the last of his first burrito before shaking a finger at Rhys. "Unlike somebody here. It's Atlas right?" He jutted his chin as gesture towards Rhys’ left eye.

His brows rose for a second before he nodded. "Yeah. Nothing new, I got it my first year of high school. How'd you notice? I thought they'd gotten the colour pretty spot on."

"Oh yeah, like almost exact- but as you might recall now, last night when I was trying to check your pupils, I checked your left eye first, and..."

Rhys sucked in a breath through his teeth. He did recall that. "I turned my head, and said something about my right eye being my good eye or something, I think, right?"

"Nah, you said the left eye was a filthy poser. But, yeah. It looks like it's in pretty good condition. It's nothing fancy either, is it? Just something to substitute for a real eye?"

"Yeah. Nothing like all these fancies echo-eyes everyone's coming out with nowadays."

"Well, duh." Jack said, then nodded towards a bench, insinuating that they should sit down. "So what happened to the real eye?" Jack asked as he sat down with an ankle resting on one knee and his right arm thrown over the back of the bench. "Did you loose it in an accident or did you have it dished out?"

Rhys sat facing forward, his hands resting in his lap while holding his half eaten burrito. He kept his eyes focused down as Jack gazed at his left eye. "I, uh... I lost sight in it after an... 'Incident' on a class trip back in elementary."

"Oh..." Jack trailed off, nodding slowly, then leaned in closer, as if it get a better look at Rhys' eye before adding, "so did the sedate when they scooped that sucker out, or just give you a numbing agent?"

The genuine interest in Jack's tone made Rhys' stomach feel unsettled.

 _". . ._ _I'm gunna be your bubblegum bitch. . ."_ Started playing from inside Rhys' pocket before you could give his reply.

"Hello, Rhys he-"

"Where are you? This is ridiculous!" Fiona's voice greeted his left ear loudly.

Rhys sighed heavily. "I already told you I wasn't going to be home."

"Bullshit. You're hanging off the balcony again, aren't you?"

'Again?' Jack mouthed, having moved just a smidgen closer to Rhys so he could listen in on the conversation. Rhys rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not. I'm. Not. There. Period. I left. I was on my out when you and Yvette called the first time. I'm a busy man, Fiona, sorry."

"Oh yeah? Busy with the person that stayed over last night, are ya?"

The confidence with which those words were spoken by unsettled Rhys to the point that he actually took a moment to survey the park around him as he answered. "What are you talking about? I already told you; I was alone last night."

"Mhmm. You know, Rhys, if you want to cover something up, don't leave the evidence laying around. It's a nice vest, by the way. Was the wearer any better looking?"

Rhys' eyes widened as he looked over Jack. Sure enough, he wasn't wearing his vest from last night. "If you're talking about the vest from the, l- living room, it's mine. Better luck next time, ladies."

"Really? 'Pretty sure your initials aren't 'J H'. And we found it in the entry way, not the living room. Your move, Rhys."

Rhys bit down on his lip. He couldn't lie and say he did have a one night stand because Jack would certainly have something monstrous to say about it if he did, but he also couldn't confide the truth in them- not if he actually intended on seeing Jack again. Yvette and Fiona would likely tear the man limb from limb if they found out the full story of last night. Maybe there was a happy medium somewhere? "Look, there was no 'one night stand' or anything of the nature going on in my apartment last night."

"You're such a liar!"

"Only guilty men run, Rhys." Yvette added after Fiona's yell, which had made Rhys hold the phone away from his ear, and subsequently towards Jack. Then. Being the person that he was proving to be, Jack slide the phone out of Rhys' hand.

"Ah, hello, Fiona and Yvette, was it? Regardless, I can assure you that nothing sexual occurred between myself and your dear friend, Rhys. However, the moment I do hit that marvelous looking butthole, I promise you two will be the firsts to know it. Have a nice day." He hung up on them and held the phone out to a red faced Rhys. "There you go, pumpkin."

Rhys looked from the phone to the man that had quite probably just ruined his life. He started to shake his head slowly with a tired expression, "I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"A simple 'thanks' is fine."

"Thanks, Jack." Rhys said in a loud monotone, his expression bland as he snatched his phone back, returning it to the safety of the pocket of his sweatpants.

Silence prevailed as they both sat finally finishing the last of their burritos. Rhys focused his attention on the sparse few trees that adorned the small park, and the even fewer people that laid out on blankets soaking up the summer sun. He surprisingly found himself relaxing back against the park bench, crossing his legs at the ankle, he tilted his head back, eyes closed, to enjoy the warm midday heat on his face.

"You know, this one seems a little too relaxed in comparison to our first, but I kind of like it. But maybe we should hit up another bar again, you know?"

Rhys peered at him out of one eye, his brows knit together. "What are you talking about? This one what?"

Jack seemed to perk up a bit now that he got Rhys' attention back. "Well, this is our second date, I was just commenting, not complaining, about how tame it is compared to the first. Again, commenting, not complaining. However, should on of those people over there by the fountain spontaneously combust, well, it certainly wouldn't be unwelcome."

With his brow properly furrowed and his mouth opened slight and his neck craned so he could look Jack in the face he said, "why do you have to soil everything pleasant in my world?"

Jack let out a huff of a laugh and adorned a deaden smile. "It's funny, I think my mother said something like that to me once before she dumped me on my grandmother's doorstep."

Rhys' face changed like someone had just dropped kicked a puppy in front of him. But, since the writer yet again saw no safe way of changing the situation, a phone started to go off, and this time it was Jack's.

"Jack here." Rhys frowned as watched Jack's body position go from relaxed to hella tense in about 0.2 seconds. "Yes. Uh huh. Yeah. I'll take a look into that right now. Yes. Goodbye, sir." Jack was sitting forward with his forearms resting on his lap by the time the call ended, taking a calming breath before he turned back to Rhys, flashing a smile. "Well, when work calls. Helios can't run itself."

"Of course, then you'd be out of a job."

"No joke." Jack seemed to agree, to Rhys' surprise as they both stood up from the bench. "I'll, uh, I'll call you sometime, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Rhys nodded, smiling back. "I look forward to the third date." He added, making Jack's smile grow just a bit more confident.

"Alright, see you later, then?" There was a note of uncertainty on his last word that caught Rhys off guard.

"Yes. Definitely later. Now get your buns to work." Rhys shooed him away, receiving himself in even bigger grin as Jack finally took off towards the park's exit.

Rhys stood alone by the park bench for a while, just thinking over the last two days, trying to convince himself that everything that was happening was in fact real. His phone started ringing then, dragging him out of thought. It was a standard ringtone that meant it was something work related. "Hello, this is Rhys speaking."

"'Ey, Rhys, it's Chad. You ain't busy, right? Somethin's gone a bit dodgy with a cybernetic piece we've been working on, and we could really use your expertise, like right now."

"No, I'm not busy. Do you need me there, or?"

"Oh yeah, we need you here. I've got a car headed over to your apartment now- you are home right?"

"Well, I'll be there in time to catch the car. It'll be a standard Atlas company car, yeah?"

"Y... up, should be there in five- oh shite, I gotta go! I think one of the newbies just lost their thumb." The line died, but not before Rhys caught the sound of someone screaming in pain off in the background. He probably should've mentioned that some of the measurements he'd made were estimated... Shrugging to himself, he began the light jaunt back to his apartment building. Today wasn't over yet, apparently.


	5. It's a Plot Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, first things first! Big ol' s/o and thank you to hyperion-issued from Tumblr, who helped me with naming this oh-so mysterious city that Rhys is living in. Seriously, blessed be, my dear.  
> And a more subtle thank you to all you lovelies who have read/commented/bookmarked/subscribed/and left kudos. You all have made my month <3 Enjoy!

Rhys had arrived at the Atlas facility only to exert what little energy he had left to help his R&D team avoid anymore serious injuries. As it turned out, Chad and the team had decided to completely abandon the blueprints and directions Rhys had left for them, and had instead started production on a portion of the project that they were grossly unprepared to work on without Rhys. Instead of focusing on finishing the exoskeleton prototype, _Chad_ apparently had insisted they start work on the one-man power suit, which is what resulted in not the loss of a thumb, but the loss of intern Corrine's _entire_ arm. Well, _sort of._ She still _had_ her arm, so to speak…

As a result of this mayhem, Rhys spent the next two, three days confined within the lab, only making a trip out once for a change of clothes, trying to fix the mess that had been created by Chad's eagerness, or as Rhys actually called it, stupidity. Rhys was seriously running out of vacation days that would allow him to take time off from the café. And Yvette and Fiona were no doubt one hundred percent done with taking up his extra shifts.

"I don't see why you still even work there, Rhys. Now that college is over for you, you should just sign with Atlas. You're already on the payroll full time. And it's not like you _need_ to keep working at the café." Chad had commented Tuesday afternoon once Rhys had gotten off the phone with his manager about missing that day, and the next.

"It's not about need, Chad. I said I'd stay until summer ended, giving Elaine at least another month to find replacements, _and_ still have time to show them the ropes. Then I'm gone for good." Rhys had explained for probably the sixteenth time.

"Really? So then you'll finally be Atlas' for the taking, eh?"

Rhys had only shrugged silently in response. Chad was always making jabs that Rhys should just sign a contract with Atlas full time, and that meant work solely for Atlas. Of course, like Chad had said, he was already on their payroll, so for all intents and purposes, he could already be considered an Atlas employee.

By Wednesday night however, Rhys had flushed that conversation- and many like it -into the back of his head as he eyed the lab's clock. The moment it shifted from 8:59 to 9:00, he was gone, regardless of whatever Chad had to say about it. Rhys needed sleep. In his own bed. Not a quick nap in one of the office cots. Real sleep, in his own home. And maybe a nice bubble bath, too.

_9:00pm._

Clapping his hands together loudly, causing a lot of people at the long work table to jump, he stood up. "Alright people, it's time to wrap it up. We've been at this long enough, and all though I love seeing all your faces, I want you all to go home, rest, and take tomorrow off. Am I clear?" A few tired faces nodded, with thankful smiles, while others just stared at him with dazed expressions. "Alright, Friday then. Clean up, and head out." He stated, picking up all the papers that were spread out in front of him, sorting them, and neatly stuffing them into his work bag, giving a final nod and heading for the conference styled rooms exit. Of course, right outside there, he had to walk through the main lab were Chad was still desperately trying to tinker with something.

"Whoa, whoa, Rhys, where d'y'think you're headed?" Chad was hot on his heels.

"Home. So is everyone else. That includes you. You and your team need to take the entire day off tomorrow, that means no one is in the lab, not even to come back and grab some paper work." Rhys stated without pausing to look at the red headed man.

"Hey, _our_ team. And, c'mon, Rhys, we don't have time to take a day off. If we don't have at least one project finished by the end of the week, I might very well end up shit-canned."

"Then maybe, instead of trying to bite off more than you can chew, focus primarily on what you know _the team_ can handle, rather then overloading them with something new with no preparation of any kind. Stop focusing on your own climb to fame, and realize that you are nothing without the team there to back you." Rhys replied very clearly as he stepped out of the lab and into the long well-lit hallway that connected the R &D sector 3 to the main lift system that lead up to the ground floor.

"Hey, hey, hey- don't you talk down your nose at _me_ about a 'climb to fame'. You don't have me fooled with the way you've been refusing Atlas' generous offers to take you on, or how you always seem to only come into the lab at the last second, swooping in to save our asses like your some kind of saviour. I see through all that, Rhys." Chad placed himself between the lift's doors, stopping them from closing, and cornering Rhys with no escape.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Rhys asked with disinterest, rooting around in his bag for his keys so he wouldn't have to humour Chad with his direct attention.

"You're going to get everything you can from Atlas, then jump ship the moment there's nothing left to salvage. An Atlas ex-contracted worker sells a lot better then and ex-employee does, I bet." Chad sneered.

Rhys couldn't stop himself from dramatically rolling his eyes. "You're overtired, Chad. And I'm starting to think a bit delusional. Besides, if you really thought Atlas had its end coming, you would never have signed with them."

"Hah, well, if you remember, I signed with Atlas because of _you_ , Rhys." The red head had since entered the elevator, causing Rhys to back up until the inner hand rail of the elevator was pressed uncomfortably against his lower back. "You know that. Because _you_ were the one that kept saying how we would take Atlas by storm, revitalize it and what not. I believed you, but now here we are, no, here _I_ am floundering as much as this shit company why you strut around with no strings."

Rhys froze once Chad had gotten just a step away, the pungent smell of whiskey on his breath. "Have you been drinking?"

Chad eyed him, taking a step back, one hand going out to stop the lift doors from closing. He gave a noncommittal half shrug before responding, "Only a bit. Helps with stress... Stress that _you_ cause, I might add." He shook a finger at Rhys.

Rhys made a disgusted noise, crossing his arms over his chest, clutching his keys in his one hand, bag in the other. "Well, no wonder people on the team are losing limbs if the head of it all is coming in sloshed. Dammit, Chad! I told you, if you're going to be drinking during work, I will not only report you, but I will _not_ work in your lab."

Chad ran a hand through his thick red hair, the lift doors sliding shut, but the lift remaining in place. "I know, I know." He exhaled, leaning back against the closed doors, keeping eye contact with Rhys as he added, "old habits, eh?" His demeanour changed as he winked at Rhys.

Rhys' look of disgusted didn't falter as he kept his arms right around him. "There's no excuse. If it happens again, I will report you. Now go make sure the team packs up and heads home. I'll stop by tomorrow, and if even one person is in there, there will be hell to pay."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. And the day you ever actually send in that complaint, prepare to add sexual harassment to it." Chad threw out offhand as he smacked the button to open the elevator doors, one hand slid into his pants pocket.

"That isn't funny, Chad." Rhys told him without a trace of humour in his dry tone.

"Yeah, yeah... Y'know, if I'm gonna have the day off tomorrow, maybe I'll hit up the Up Over before I get home? 'Hear it's a pretty swingin' place." He added, hitting the button for the ground floor before heading off down the windowless hall without another word.

Rhys crept forward, rapidly tapping the button to close the lift doors. Long after the elevator began its ascent, Rhys still found himself unable to relax. He had met Chad in his third year of college, Chad having been on his fourth. Rhys hadn't really liked him then either, but because the man had his uses, Rhys had kept a steady far-off friendship of sorts with him, deflecting any and all of the numerous comments Chad made about furthering it to unprofessionalism. As for the part where Rhys had said 'they would take Atlas by storm', well, Rhys had been pretty liquored up at the time, had been joking mostly because Atlas wasn't much of anything really at the time (it still honestly wasn't much, to be honest). But Chad had always been the type to jump into a pit of ravenous stalkers provided the person telling him to do so had long legs and an attitude, gender- and Rhys was pretty sure species -was unimportant.

Rhys exited the Atlas building, pausing to look down at his keys, before hailing a taxi. If he left his mode of transportation there, it would give him an actual reason to check up on the lab tomorrow. And he wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of walking home. Slipping into the back of the hailed cab that reeked of motor oil and rusted metal, Rhys gave directions to his apartment before settling back under a seatbelt, fishing out his phone and throwing his keys onto his bag.

Four missed calls from Yvette, two texts from Fiona, three from an unknown number, and one from a very well known number. None from a man named Jack though. Rhys had stopped being surprised by that by mid-Tuesday, though. With that in mind, Rhys checked the latter first.

 _"Found another one of the tech-kits you like so much. Promise no one died for it."_ Read the text, with an attached picture of an unopened Torgue tech-kit.

Rhys smirked, bring up his key pad. _"Sorry, but I'm pretty sure a Torgue's tricked to explode when opened. My Tediore only does that when I throw it. Thanks for the thought though."_

Rhys swiped out of the conversation to take a look at Fiona's next when his phone vibrated in his hands. _"Is that so? How about this Hyperion one I just -stumbled- upon?"_

He was about to comment on the hyphens when his phone shook again,chis jaw dropping and his eyes widening. Every bit of equipment was neatly positioned inside of a Hyperion case. There was everything from a hand held soldering iron to a three faceted dongle were spread out for Rhys' viewing pleasure. _"Who did you have to kill for that?"_ Hyperion tech-kits - or Hyperion anything - costed a small fortune, and they were worth every penny of it in Rhys' opinion.

_"What you don't know can't hurt you, Rhys."_

_"Babe, please."_ Rhys sent back.

The response that came back read as if the sender hadn't seen Rhys' prior message. _"I'll see if I can get someone to drop it off at the café tomorrow if you're interested."_

_"Oh, I'm definitely interested. Why don't you drop it off at my place tomorrow instead?"_

_"In that kind of mood, are you?"_

_"Maybe. Never hurts to plan ahead, right?"_

_"Right. See you tomorrow then."_

_"Sure thing."_ Rhys texted back before swiping out of the conversation, sighing to himself. It wasn't uncommon for him to plan casual meet-ups with the other when Rhys' 'five date rule' seemed to make people jump ship. Of course, whenever he did so, he always made himself question why he ever broke it off with the other man when August always seemed so willing to pop back up into his life.

_You've already been down that road, Rhys._

Exhaling a little more roughly, he finally took a peek at Fiona's messages _. "If you make me cover for your crap morning shifts again, I will skin you alive and hand your ass over to the nearest bandit camp I can find."_ Read the first, followed by, _"I AM NOT TAKING YOU SHITTY NIGHT SHIFTS AGAIN EITHER, RHYS."_

Smiling to himself, Rhys swiped out before looking out the window, planning out how far he had before he made it to his stop. Five minutes, and he'd finally be home free. Sitting up a little straighter, he decided to at least read over the four messages from the unknown number. Hey? Maybe Jack had gotten a new phone?

He didn't _. "Hey, Rhys, right? This is Vaughn, you know, from the café? I hope this isn't weird, but I was talking to Yvette, the other barista from the café about how I'm fairly new to the city, which I am. New to the city, I mean. Anyways, I was asking her about what people around her due for fun and stuff, and she recommended that I talk to you, and then gave me your number. She said I could text you any time, but I'll be honest, I feel like this might be a little weird and I don't want to come off as creepy or anything, I mean does this seem creepy? I’m probably making it feel creepy by asking, but, crap looks like I'm about to hit my letter capac"_ Was what the first message said, the second one went, _"Ha, sorry about that. I blab sometimes when I'm nervous. The point is, Yvette gave me your number and said you were the go-to-guy when it comes to the city, I'm going-to-you. Not like literally or anything, cause that would really be weird. Probably. I don't know. Am I rambling again? I think I'm rambling again. You know what? I've rewritten this same text so many times I don't even care anymore."_ And then the final text, _"This is Rhys, right? I didn't send this to and absolute stranger, right? I am SO sorry if I did. Please ignore me if you aren't Rhys. Except, I would appreciate it if you would at least tell me that this is a wrong number scenario. Okay... bye, I guess?"_

Rhys smiled sympathetically at the short story the other man had written, the awkwardness practically oozing from each sentence. Rhys had just enough time to shoot back, _"Yes, this is Rhys, please chill, bro."_ Before he had to pay his fare and vacate the taxi. The reply came just as he was exiting the cab.

_"Oh, thank GOD. And sorry about the spam, I may have mentioned about my rambling habit, I mean I try to revise my texts but then I figure, I can't take back what I say when talking face to face, so why try and change my initial thoughts when texting? But that probably seems pretty childish... Oh crap, I'm doing it again. Uh... Uh... How was your day?"_

Rhys stood on the sidewalk, staring down at his phone with an amused look. He could just imagine Vaughn wincing on the other side of the phone. _"Fine, I guess. A little tired. Yours?"_ He finally replied as he slipped inside the lobby of his apartment building, heading straight for the elevator, even though he was only on he third floor.

_"It was okay. Not very tiring for me, I guess. I kind of just sit in one place for hours on end and naps are sort of encouraged for some reason? Something about the longer workers stay checked in, the better it makes the company look, I guess? I don't really now, to be honest."_

Rhys gave a funny look as the lift jittered before beginning its upward movement. _"Yeah, that sounds a little weird."_

_"Doesn't it though? Like, no offense, but this entire city is a little messed up. Like, the language is a big one. I mean, I'm pretty sure most people are speaking English, but I feel like I could be wrong???"_

Rhys' shoulders shook slightly as he responded, _"Yeah, it's an acquired thing. So, you say you're new to the city... Are you like, new to just the city, or ?"_ He sent before exiting the elevator.

_"Oh, no, I'm new to everything here. I was reassigned here from Eden-4. Well, actually,I chose to come here, to be honest. I was pretty low on the food chain back there, and not many people wanted to come here, so I thought, what the heck? I get a free trip off planet, a promotion of sorts, and I'd get away from the folks. A real chance to strike out on my own, you know?"_

Rhys actually had no idea. Being an orphan since the age of twelve and all. _"Oh yeah, I feel that. So, how you liking Pandora so far?"_ He changed the subject as he walked slowly down he hall, keeping an eye on his phone more so then where he was going, his right side hugging the wall.

_"Well, the fact that this planet actually has functioning 'safe cities' is pretty shocking, especially being seen as like an outer, outer, outer planet. That everything I've heard about this place."_

_"And what all have you heard about Pandora?"_ Rhys replied, before slipping his phone into his back pocket as he came to his door. He fumbled around inside his bag, product is keys, then letting himself in, habitually locking the door once it closed behind him. He ignored the buzzing from is rear until he was comfortably sprawled out on his sofa, bag discarded on the living room floor nearby.

Text one: _"No offense intended, but I heard it was a savage planet, home to cut throat, bloodthirsty psychopaths that only desire destruction and chaos. It's like a haven for the nastiest criminals every galaxy has to offer or something."_

Text two: _"And that the wildlife was even more dangerous than the people because they're only purpose is killing, or being killed- which I personally believe isn't accurate because no ecosystem could exist if everything is only focused on sport styled killing."_

Text three: _"Also that unlike most inhabitable planets, it's like 75% sand??? Which just can't be true, unless the other 25% is just water, but??? Even that wouldn't make the place livable, would it? At least not for humans, right?"_

Final text: _"You still there?"_

 _"Yup, just wanted to make sure you were finished."_ Rhys answered.

_"Oh, that's pretty decent of you. Shall I take that as meaning my information was pretty inaccurate?"_

_"Nope, Pandora is all that and more. Well, outside of the safe cities, anyways."_ That was a bit of a fib, actually. So far the city of Providence was the most long lasting safe city. Most speculated that it was because it was such a hotspot for company HQ's, so keeping the city safe was a combined priority.

_"Well, I sort of figured. So have you been outside of the city before?"_

Rhys paused, thumbs hovering over the keypad. _"Civilians don't leave the city without a really good excuse. At least not if they intend to get back in. It's apart of the laws that help keep out bandits and other no-gooders."_ Rhys then added, _"Anyways, enough about that, you said you were looking for some fun, right?"_

_"Yup! Gotta find something to do in my down time. Other then nothing, or more work."_

Rhys nodded to himself, rolling over onto his stomach, propping himself up with his elbows, legs bent at the knee and crossed at the ankles. _"Alright, well, what are you into? Clubbing? Strip joints? I know a few Burlesque's for the less inclined. I also know a few pubs."_

The long stretch of radio silence left Rhys with the impression that he may have given Vaughn a difficult decision. Boy, was he wrong. _"I was actually thinking about a cinema? Or maybe a library..."_

Rhys stared down at the response with a blank expression. Some part of himself scolded him for not considering that, but another part was internally shrugging. Yvette had sent Vaughn to him after all. Yvette could have easily told him about the best cinema's. Unless this was her attempt to make him feel better about the whole Jack-fiasco. _"Oh, yeah, of course. I know couple of those too. The best cinema is in the south west district, but it won't be playing anything this late. 10am to 8pm on weekdays, 9am to 10pm on weekends. There is the Roxton Plaza, it has a few cool things, like a book store. You'd probably find a pretty good bookstore in the eastern district."_

_"Hey, I'm right near there! The Roxton Plaza, I mean."_

_"Cool, I'm actually just a block away from the myself- maybe sometime we'll meet up there and I'll show you around?"_

There was an exactly two minute long pause before the phone vibrated in Rhys' hands. _"Sorry if this is too forward, but if you're not busy right now... Maybe you could show me around now? I'd love to take a look around while there aren't quite so many people. And it would be a little awkward just wander around myself..."_

Rhys blinked, looking at the time before considering it. He didn't feel as tired as he had when he'd left the facility, and it would be nice to get out and just hang out with someone... _"Sure. I'll need to take a quick shower first, so I'll be there in say, fifteen minutes?"_

_"Uh, cool. I'll be in the food court I guess- there is a food court there, right?"_

_"Well, it is mainly a shopping plaza, so yes. I'll send you a text just before I start heading over."_ Rhys sent before peeling himself off the sofa and heading towards the bathroom. It seriously felt like the days were just getting longer and longer for him lately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may update again before next month, but please no one hold your breath, I am prone to long bouts of utter incompetence. Until next time!


	6. It's a Rope Drop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! The next chapter is here! But before that, I want to give an enormous shout out / thank you to nine-broken-clocks from tumblr who made an absolutely lovely fanart of Jack & Rhys for this! I'd love nothing more then to link you all directly to it, but sadly I have no idea how to do that :(. So to reiterate, a very big thank you to nine-broken-clocks!
> 
> And now the usual thank you to all you lovelies who have left kudos/comments, subscribed/bookmarked, and just read this honestly. <3.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

Rhys wasn't exactly in a rush to meet up with Vaughn, taking his time to do a bit of light cleaning once he was out of the shower and fully clothed in jeans and a casual blue and white stripped button up. He ran an idle hand through his drying hair as he looked at the clock above the stove. _May as well go now, I don't want him to feel stood up…_ Rhys pulled out his phone, shooting a quick text that he was on his way as his hand reached toward the coat stand in the entryway corner, pulling something random down and throwing it on.

He was halfway down the hall to the stairwell when he noticed what he'd put on didn't exactly fit him right... Looking down at the vest he'd so casually slung on, Rhys’ brow furrowed. The reason it felt so awkward was because it wasn't his. Jack had never come back for his vest, and Rhys had just taken it at random and out it on. Biting his tongue, he moved to turn around when his phone buzzed in his back pocket.

_“Awesome, I was starting to worry a bit that you weren't going to make it, ha ha.”_

Rhys scrunched up his face due to indecision before rolling his eyes at himself and heading down the stairs to the main lobby. What did it matter if it was Jack’s? Vaughn certainly wouldn't know- or even care. Besides, the man had left it there, so it wasn't like Rhys had stolen it or anything. Similar thoughts racked his mind as he walked briskly down the sidewalk toward the plaza, hands in his pockets and his head bent down to stare at the ground beneath his feet.

It was a few short minutes before Rhys entered the shopping centre and made his way to the food court where he almost immediately spotted the small brunet man, sitting alone at one of the tables that were placed around the area. Vaughn was playing with his phone, a pair of earphones in as his one foot tapped quietly to the beat. He was dressed casual in a simple green t and faded blue jeans. Ever so silently, Rhys slid into the seat opposite Vaughn, placing his elbows carefully on the table and resting his chin on his palms as he waited for the other man to notice his presence at the table.

It was about a minute before Vaughn’s eyes did a brief double take and he flustered, unplugging his earphones quickly. “Oh, hey, how long have you been there?”

Rhys tilted his head, shrugging a bit. “Meh, about an hour, maybe?”

A bit of red spread across the brunet’s cheeks just as quickly as it dissipated, his eyes narrowing and expression cynical. “I- I don’t think that's possible…?”

Rhys cracked an easy smile, sitting back. “Yeah, no, I only just got here. Sorry for keeping you waiting.” Rhys added, tucking one leg over the other under the clear hard plastic table, textured to look like glass.

Vaughn relaxed a bit, tucking his phone and earphones away. “Ah, it's okay, bro. I mean for a while there I thought maybe you weren't coming, but hey! You're here, so whatever, bro. Though, you could've said no, I would've understood, man. It is pretty late out after all.”

The guy's aloof use of the word ‘bro’ made Rhys continue to smile honestly. “Nah, man, it's fine. Besides, it's been a while since I’ve been out and about with someone doing something that wasn't clubbing, or going to a bar.”

Vaughn frowned, regarding him for a moment. “Do you go clubbing and stuff a lot, or something?”

Rhys could tell that he was about to be heavily judged based on his answer. Luckily, he could also tell that the truth would be the best course of action. “I certainly used too. Like every weekend. But then with college and my contract work picking up, I started to loose a taste for it I guess. With college over now, that gives you an idea of how long it's been since I’ve been out, period.” As Rhys gave his answer, his gaze had diverted to the table in front of him where he was pressing his thumb down on the tabletop then lifting it to watch as the print slowly faded out of sight. He also kept an eye on Vaughn, who visibly relaxed more. _Note to self: precious cinnamon roll, not fond of clubbing._

"Contract work, you said? I thought you just worked at the café?"

"Nah, I do some work here and there for different companies. Cybernetics, tech, stuff like that."

"Oh! That sounds pretty cool. Have you done any work with Hyperion?"

Rhys stiffened, a deep frown crossing his lips as he eyed Vaughn. His stare must have been a bit more hostile then intended because the brunet's eyes widened behind his green tinted tech glasses and he leaned back a bit. Rhys swallowed, forcing a polite smile and sitting up a bit. "Ah, um, sorry, I just... What makes you ask about Hyperion specifically?"

Vaughn shrugged slightly, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, uh, well, I work for Hyperion, so I guess... You know, if you were contracted by them, maybe I'd see you around?" The sentence hung stale in the air as Vaughn's eyes darted around, making it clear he thought he'd stepped over some line. "Sorry if what I said offended you or something..."

Rhys let out an airy laugh, waving a hand casually as if to dismiss the whole thing. "No, no, it's fine. But, uh, you work for Hyperion, huh?"

"Yeah, accounting, if you'd believe that." Vaughn joined him in his laughter, pushing at the middle of his glasses even though they were still perfectly placed on e bridge of his nose.

Rhys nodded, adopting an interested look. "Really? I totally thought you would've been head of security or something!"

"You know, I considered it but I'm just too much of number's guy, I guess." Vaughn received nicely, lightening up a bit.

Rhys chuckled humorously, taking the allotted silence to sit back, drumming his fingers rhythmically on the table as he planned out what should happen next. "Alright, what do you say we take a walk around, and I'll point out all the places you should definitely check out, and the ones you shouldn't even tough with a ten foot pole before this places closes up?"

Vaughn mimicked Rhys' new found happy demeanour, taking to his feet as Rhys did so. "Lead the way, man."

"You got it, bro." Rhys tucked his hands into his jeans pockets as he began the circuit around the shopping centre, followed closely by Vaughn. He started by just pointing out the different food venders in the immediate area, relaying which ones were cheaper, which ones served edible food, and which ones were a reasonable mix of the two.

"Basically, if it has Dahl or Torgue written anywhere on the menu, give another place a look."

"Oh, why's that?" Vaughn inquired as they started leaving the food area.

"Well with Dahl, they kind of have some bad blood with Hyperion, you're Hyperion. And aside from that, they do good with making appliances but their food is barely a step up from military rations. Aka, gross as all hell. Torgue, on the other hand, can occasionally come with a complementary explosion- I know a few people who've lost their eyebrows on more then one occasion. But I mean, other then that, they do good with spicy foods, so if you like that, enjoy the risk."

"Uh huh..." Vaughn mused as they continued forward, then he seemed to perk up, straightening his glasses with an almost disbelieving stare. "Is that what I think it is?"

Rhys, who's attention had diverted to an odd group of well dressed individuals, peeled his gaze away just in time to see the shorter man dashing across the way toward a bookstore window. "What is it?" He asked once he'd caught up.

Vaughn flustered a bit, waving a dismissive hand at the book on display that had stolen his attention. "I mean, you seem like a pretty cool dude, so you prob-"

"They already have the new playbook out? It wasn't supposed to be in stores for another month!?" Rhys nearly had his nose against the glass of the display window. "Of course, the one time I don't bring my wallet here, this should happen." Rhys made a face before it clicked that he'd cut Vaughn off. Stepping back, he said, "I'm sorry, you were saying something, and I cut you off?"

Vaughn was staring at him in mute surprise, his brows raised. "You... You play?"

Rhys bit his lip, fluttering a bit as he scratched the back of his head. "Just y'know... I'm a level 38 siren in my current campaign..."

"Holy crap, really? I'm 38 too, gunzerker. Who's your BM?"

Rhys relaxed a bit, swaying his head as he thought. "Well, I play online, so they're username is ' _xX_BodaciousT_Xx_ '."

Vaughn's eyes bugged as he gaped. "Wait, wait... Siren, you said, right? Level 38? Your, uh, username wouldn't happen to be ' _legs4dayz68_ ', would it?"

Hands crossed over his heart, he inhaled a sharp breath. "Would it be wrong to assume you were _MidgetLord75_???"

Vaughn cracked a brilliant grin. "What are the odds, man? This is unbelievable!"

Rhys nodded, returning the smile. It certainly was an interesting coincidence. Rhys' gaze finally wandered back to the book on display. "Sucks I didn't bring my wallet though, what about you? Did you make the same e same fatal mistake?" Rhys said with a bit of a teasing demeanour.

"Nope, I definitely have enough for it. Tell you what, I'll pop in and get it, and you can take look over it until you get your own?"

Rhys looked down at the green eyed brunet, eyeing him from top to bottom. "You know, Vaughn, I think you are my new favourite person."

"You flatter me so, Rhys. But, yeah, do you want to go in with me, or are you okay with just chilling out here, bro?"

Rhys waved him forward. "Yeah, I'll chill here, can't let the whole world know I'm a giant nerd."

Vaughn nodded, holding out his fist, insinuating a fist bump. "Don't worry, I got your back, bro." He joked when Rhys reciprocated the fist bump, then he disappeared inside the store with an excited hop in his step.

Rhys chuckled to himself for a bit. It was a pity he was too tired to show any more enthusiasm. He sought out a nearby bench and relaxed back on it, enjoying the relative quiet that came with showing up at the shopping plaza this late. He decided to amuse himself again with the peculiar group of well dressed strangers that were still in his line of sight, maybe just six or seven shops down where they seemed to be conjugated and listening patiently to a speaker that was out of Rhys' range of view.

Rhys could only guess why they were there. As his gaze strayed, his eyes caught his answer in the form of a newspaper that had been tossed under bench he sat on. Reaching down he pulled it out and onto his lap. On the front page it read that the Roxton Plaza was having plans for renovations since it was newly owned by a different company now, Hyperion. Spreading it out and flipping further in for the rest of the story, Rhys came across a few columns of text and a picture of the S&S munitions CEO sealing the deal by shaking hands with... well, it was with Jack.

He frowned critically at the picture. While he was a wiz with tech, Rhys had originally planned to go into management, maybe start his own company one day, so he was decently educated in corporate affairs, and from what Rhys did know, he was fairly certain that Jack was not in a position to be shaking hands with anyone. He'd said himself he was only head of the Helios branch, and buying out another company - even over something legally as small as a shopping mall - wasn't something in a branch managers list of things they could do. Unless something shady had happened on S&S munitions side and they'd offered it to Hyperion, but even then it would be Hyperion's CEOs job to finalize everything... Wouldn't it?

Rhys gave the picture another look over before tossing the paper aside and crossing his arms over his chest. He was probably just reading to much into it out of personal frustrations he held for a man he barely knew. Crossing his leg at the knee, his brow creased until a glaring frown become his countenance. _There goes my good mood_ , he huffed as he found his eyes traveling back to the group he now knew were dressed merely to impress whomever was speaking. Or had been as the small group was now dispersing. His heart jumped into his throat as the mysterious speaker was now in clear view, and staring back at him. Rhys snapped his attention forward, breathe quickening as he willed Vaughn to hurry up.

His eyes darted just for a moment back down the long, wide hall, just long enough to conclude that once Jack was done shaking hands with the stragglers from the group, Rhys would be his first destination. _Why didn't I go in with Vaughn?_ He berated himself as he shifted his position on the cold metal bench that suddenly wasn't as relaxing as before.

As if the short man had heard Rhys' prays, Vaughn exited the shop with the newest Bunkers & Badasses Handbook cradled against his chest like it was a newborn baby. "Sorry for taking so long, turns out the lady on cash in there is a player too!"

Rhys jumped up, polite smile plastered in his face. "It's fine. Shall we be going?" He said, maybe just a touch to fast. The crack in his voice probably didn't help either.

Vaughn gave him a funny look, showing he could tell something was wrong, and he was determined to find out what. "Yeah, sure, you alright though?"

"Fine." Another untimely voice crack. He probably couldn't blame that on puberty or anything, could he? "How 'bout we go grab a drink or something? Some late supper, maybe?" Rhys began, ushering Vaughn in the opposite direction he knew Jack would be coming from. Footsteps came to a prominent stop behind him, his stopping dropping and twisting when he heard his name.

"Rhys?"

A frown creased Vaughn's brow as he tried to look around Rhys who had tensed up more then a cat thrown into a puddle of cold water. His face blanked, even loosing a bit of colour when his eyes fell on Jack. Ducking back in front of Rhys, he looked up at him and stumbled out an apology. "Sorry, love to, but you know, I got that... _thing_ you know? Sorry, I'll uh, catch you later?" Vaughn gave an apologetic smile as he slowly started to back away.

Rhys bit down harshly on his lip, returning Vaughn's smile with a pained one. "Oh yeah, _definitely_."

Vaughn nodded, mouthing how sorry he was before practically evaporating into thin air. _Traitorous little..._ Rhys bowed his head, forcing his heart out of his throat and back into his chest where it still throbbed painfully in anticipation before turning and facing the man behind him.

"Jack, hello, how've you been?"

Jack stood just a few feet in front of him, looking reasonably underdressed compared to the group that had been flocked around him, what with his standard issue Hyperion company shirt under a brown leather jacket with Hyperion yellow accents that matched the ones that ran down the sides of his blue jeans that were tucked into his brown coloured boots. That also had the same yellow coloured accents. Either Jack really liked the Hyperion yellow, or he really liked Hyperion, period. Or it could be both, who was Rhys to judge, honestly?

"Rhys, I just, I..." Jack trailed off, eyeing Rhys before asking, "are you wearing my vest?"

Rhys clenched his hands into fist to restrain his palms from full on smacking himself in the head. How could he have been so stupid? Why did everything have to turn out like this? "I, uh, yeah, sorry, here-"

"No, no- it's fine, I don't, I don't even care about that! Look, Rhys, I messed up."

"Yeah, that seems to pretty much sum you up lately." Rhys interjected, straightening out the unbuttoned vest that now hung loosely on his frame before crossing his arms.

Jack snapped his mouth shut, exhaling a heavy breath out his nose as he regarded Rhys. "Alright, that's fair, but I really did mean to contact you, I just, I couldn't."

"Okay, that's fine, I get that, Jack. Work is incredibly important, especially on Pandora, but christ, a simple message would've been appreciated. A simple 'I don't think this will work out', or 'sorry, I'm super busy right now'. I mean what would have been difficult about that?"

Jack made a soundless wince. "The fact that a lost my phone, and by extension your number, might have made it a bit difficult." Jack confessed, rubbing the back of his neck, and before Rhys could respond he added, "I mean, I did try to reach you at the café when I had some time off, but you were never in, and that Yvette chick wouldn't tell me shit, and I... _Uh_..."

Rhys' gaze narrowed, "and you what?"

The next bit come out at a fast rate that Rhys wasn't sure he caught it right at first. "I _may have shown up at your place a couple times, and when I asked your neighbours where you were they all said they hadn't seen you since Sunday, some said you hadn't been in since Friday, so I started worrying maybe you were hurt, or maybe you were just avoiding me, which I completely understand, I haven't exactly been leaving the best impressions, and..._ "

At that point Rhys really couldn't understand a word the man was saying, and his tight lipped pose loosened as he looked at Jack like he'd never seen the man before. "Jack, Jack stop, it's okay. I- I haven't been avoiding you, and as you can see I'm fine. I've just been cooped up in a lab for the past few days." Rhys tried to hide a laugh that was bubbling up at how passionately Jack had been rambling.

Jack looked at him with big two toned eyes. "You're laughing at me aren't you?"

Rhys pressed his fingers to his lips, eyes watering as he shook his head. "No, no... Of course not."

Jack flustered a bit as Rhys tittered. "You know what? I take it all back, I'm sure I've got better places to be, have a nice night, kiddo."

Rhys grabbed his arm as he started to turn away, humming in amusement. "No, no, c'mon Jack. I'm sorry for being so short with you. How- uh, how have you been, by the way?" Rhys shifted the topic, gesturing for them to walk as they talked.

"A bit stressed, I guess. With Hyperion's CEO off planet, you'd think it would give me a lot of leg room, but honestly it's just more crap I have to try and work around, so getting things done isn't the easiest. That and the guy's a total asshole."

Rhys nodded, not really able to relate. He knew nothing of Atlas' current CEO, and as far as he knew, said CEO didn't really have a presence in the company's affair either way. More of a figure head, honestly.

"What about you? What brought you here so late?"

"Oh, uh, I was just showing a friend around."

"The short guy?"

"Yes, the short guy. Who so _conveniently_ had to leave in such a hurry." Rhys huffed, finally uncross ing his arms and shoving his hands into his pockets as he unknowingly led them toward the shopping mall's main exit. "So... Hyperion owns Roxton Plaza now I hear?"

"Yup." Jack replied, popping the 'p' for what appeared to be pleased emphasis. "S&S are going down faster then Atlas- would've guessed? Though I guess their main area of expertise was guns and ammo, which honestly? They were mediocre at best."

The way Jack talked about them in the past tense already rubbed Rhys the wrong way something awful. "Well, hey, so does the Bandit Co, but they're still kicking around, aren't they? And doing pretty well for themselves last I heard."

A frown nestled itself across the other man's face. "Bandit? I don't think I've heard of them."

Rhys bit his tongue, a brief feeling of anger, directed at himself, welling up in his stomach. Luckily, before he answered, there was a small resounding ding as a soft female voice came on over the shopping center's PA.

_"The mall will be closing to the public soon. It is suggested that shoppers finish getting their purchases and vacate the premise. Thank you, and have a lovely evening."_

Rhys frowned, eyeing Jack who wore a pleased smile. "First thing we did after getting full ownership, change out that stupid automated crap they had in. It's a real chick now- and she'll read literally anything you give her too- friggin' hilarious."

"Oh. Neat." It wasn't, really. "Anyways, would you care to walk me home?" Rhys gestured to the main exit they stood in front of.

Jack looked heavily undecided, and like he was leaning towards a hard no when he gave a noncommittal shrug. "I guess I could spare some of my valuable time." Rolling his eyes, Rhys shared a smirk with the other man as they stepped out into the cool night, a stray breeze catching Rhys by surprise and making him shiver. Jack eyed him with amusement in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to walk?"

Rhys nodded determinedly, rolling his shoulders as the stray puff of cold passed. "Yes, of course. I prefer walking when I'm with someone, gives more time for conversation."

"You don't have a ride here, do you?"

"No I do not. Because I walked here. And because my ' _ride_ ' is back at the Atlas facility." Rhys admitted.

"Oh. Do you wanna go get it?"  
  
Rhys shook his head as they crossed through the parking lot toward the sidewalk. "I plan to get it after my shift at the café tomorrow."

He watched Jack perk up out of his peripherals, as though what Rhys had said had reminded him of something. "Speaking of, when do you have work tomorrow, Rhysterical?"

Rhys paused a moment in thought, recalling his schedule. "I work morning to noon. Then I'm off for the rest of the day, why?"

"Perfect. I'll pick you up at the café tomorrow afternoon." Jack smiled as though nothing more needed to be said.

A lot more needed to be said. "Sorry? I don't follow, why? For what?"

"Date number three, duh. Keep up, kitten, I didn't think I was going that fast."

"Well, yeah, I think- I'm pretty sure I got that- _what_ is the third date?" Rhys pressed for a more revealing answer.

"You'll see, pumpkin, don't worry about it."

Rhys was definitely worrying about it now. But he humoured the older man as they walked in silence until Rhys' apartment building came into sight.

"So... Why didn't you ever just message me, instead?" Jack broke the silence.

He shrugged, looking at the sidewalk. "I dunno, I guess I felt like if I did, it would set a certain mood, y'know? One where I'd be initiating everything, and that's not something I'm super interested in. I've been there, it's a drag, and then you can never be sure the other person's actually into it, or if it's just 'cause they don't have to put any effort into it."

"Oh."

Rhys bit the inside of his cheek at the simplistic response to his answer. What the hell was that supposed to mean? _Like 'oh' you get it? Or 'oh' as in whatever, you don't really care? Articulate your thoughts, for christ's sake..._ Luckily, before his own thoughts could formulate into spoken words, they were standing in front of the entrance of his apartment building. "Well, I guess this is goodbye, until tomorrow." Rhys added.

"Yup. Catch you later, cupcake." Jack gave what looked like a cross between a wave and a salute as Rhys opened door to the lobby, giving one final nod.

It wasn't until he was almost to the stairwell that something they'd forgotten to do graced his mind. Returning to the entrance doors, he opened them to find Jack about to open it from his end.

"I forgot to get your number." Jack blurted out before Rhys could say anything.

"Yes, you did." Rhys grinned, moving to let Jack into the lobby, holding the door with one hand, and fishing out his phone with the other. "Do you want me to give it right to you, or do you want me to just send you a text? You kept the same number right?"

"Ah, yup. Yes, one sec- okay." Jack produced his phone from a pocket on the inside of his jacket, turning it on and looking up in wait for Rhys to send a text.

_"Sup."_ Rhys sent, looking up to see the notification pop up on the other man's phone.

"Really? 'Sup'?"

Rhys bit his lip, his thumbs moving effortlessly across the keypad, eyes darting back up just as Jack got another notification.

"Oh, because that's so much better." Jack laughed, adding Rhys' number to his contacts before he tucked his phone away. "Okay, I'll catch you later then, pumpkin."

"You'd better." Rhys teased, watching as Jack made his way back out into the cool summer night. An unexpected twist was always nice, but the fumes Rhys had been running on up to that point were more then exhausted. It was a damn good thing he would only have to coast down hill from here. He was definitely taking the lift to get to his flat, that was for sure.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for the third date, though it isn't exactly what Rhys was expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell in a hand basket- okay so writer's block is a real pain in the buns, let me tell you. But alas, here we are. There's all kinds of stuff packed in is chapter, but hopefully it finds you all well.
> 
> Big thank you to everyone who has given kudos/commented, and subscribed/bookmarked, you all are absolutely amazing!
> 
> Enjoy!

"You should grab a sweater, or at least a comfortable jacket, princess."

Rhys frowned as he walked down the short hallway of his apartment, having just changed out of his work uniform, and into a comfortable pair of worn jeans and a long sleeved grey shirt, that was plain except for the small Atlas logo over the left breast. "Ooo...kay... You know you still haven't told me where we're even going yet, right?"

"Really? I thought we openly agreed we were going to pick up your car?"

Rhys gave Jack a droll stare before just shaking his head and rolling with it. "Don't remember saying anything about a car, but _sure_ , whatever, let's go." Rhys jutted his chin toward the door as he grabbed a light jacket and pulled it on, careful not to let his sleeves get bunched up. God that had to be the worst feeling in the world.

"Why the hell do you have Jakob's company jacket, by the way?" Jack commented, making no effort hide his disproval, and possible mild disgust.

"Oh this? Yvette's parents are Jakob's, they forced it on me back when we were pretending to date." Rhys replied with a shrug, locking up his door before gesturing toward the lift.

Jack eyed him for a moment but followed along. "And why exactly did you two pretend to date?"

"Well, while her parents were all about her playing nice with other companies, they were... Well, they're like the company they work for- _old fashion_." Jack nodded at that with a knowing 'ah'. "Yeah, so we pretended to date for a while until high school ended, that's when her parents got accepted for a transfer off planet. They seemed to like me enough to let her stay on Pandora rather then take her with, so she got to stay here and be who she was, and I got a neat jacket."

"Sounds like a real win-win situation. Except that jacket's gross as hell. The only thing worse than the jacket is the nasty shirt your wearing under it."

Rhys snorted, eyeing Jack's own a apparel, which seemed to be exactly what he'd been wearing the day before, but he had a more casual Hyperion hoodie on instead, and a Hyperion knapsack which was the same distasteful yellow as the shirt he wore under the thankfully all black (minus the gross yellow logo sprawled across the chest) hoodie. It was like Rhys was standing next to a pandoran bee in jeans. "Right."

Jack squinted at him as Rhys stepped off the lift first. "Is there something wrong with the way I dress, Rhysie?"

"Oh boy, where should I start, Jack?" Rhys shot back with a sassy wink.

They managed to reach the Atlas facility in under fifteen minutes, the time spent playfully bashing one another's wardrobe choices. When they got to the parking lot, Rhys looked around, his stomach sinking a bit as he saw not one, but two vehicles in the R&D Robotics parking area. A silver car and a black bike sat side by side, telling Rhys exactly who was in today. "Okay, can I trust you to chill here while I pop into the facility for a sec? Don't, don't touch anything or speak to anybody okay? And if that doesn't work, just say you're waiting for Rupert."

"Why would I-"

"Just trust me, no one'll bother you after that, I'll be back in a flash." Rhys waved him down before moving quickly toward the front doors of the facility. He needed to get in, grab what he needed, and with any luck, Chad wouldn't actually be down in the lab. Once elevator doors slid open on the Robotics floor, Rhys' stomach began churning uncomfortably. The lights of the lab were all on, and the door was even held open by an automated lock. Okay, calm down, maybe you can slip in unnoticed, or it could be a janitor in... Rhys sighed, forcing himself across he threshold where he immediately met eyes with Chad. _Shit biscuit_.

"Chad, what the hell are you doing in? I thought I'd made it clear that no one is supposed to be in today," Rhys stated as he moved toward the back office spaces where his things were stored, unfortunately in Chad's office since he didn't have his own- and wouldn't unless he became more then a contracted worker.

"Yeah, I know, that's why I haven't been doing anythin" but waiting for you. I noticed you left a little something here in the parking lot, so I figured I'd probably catch you down here today." Chad followed Rhys around as he retrieved his own knapsack, then almost as a secondary thought, Rhys also picked up a black helmet that matched the bike in the car park. "See, I was thinking," Chad continued when Rhys made no effort to respond. "Since we're not going to be working today, I figured maybe we could go get a drink or do somethin' relaxing, y'know?"

Rhys laughed awkwardly as he squeezed by Chad, heading out of the lab. "Ah, sounds... _Fun_ , but I can't, I already have plans with someone. Uh, sorry?" Rhys flicked off the lab's lights as he passed them, leaving the door to be closed by Chad as he tried to walk at a hopefully unsuspiciously fast pace toward the lift.

"It's no problem, maybe later today? Or tomorrow after we're done our work here we could go out for a couple drinks." Chad caught up quickly, smacking the button for the ground floor before turning his attention back on Rhys, who was struggling to get his knapsack on his back while holding the clunky bike helmet. Chad laughed, taking it from him, "Gimme that, Rhys, you're lookin' like idiot tryna hang on to it and out that thing on."

Rhys was tempted to just ignore the redhead's first comment and focus on the second, but he knew he needed to make something clear. Or at least try. "Listen, Chad, I'm not really in a place right now where I care to go out drinking. I appreciate your offer, but I'm going to have to decline."

"Okay, I understand. Well how about lunch tomorrow then? I know this place that does a great skag steak. Like you've seen a skag before right? Ugly gross things that look tough as nails? Well this place, oh man, tenderest meat I've ever had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into, and then there's..."

Chad's chatter faded into the background along with the elevator music playing quietly from small speakers as Rhys suffered through the next few moments before the fateful ding, and something else hit him. If Chad walked out with him, Rhys knew that Chad would be able to take one look at Jack know exactly who he was. His heart throbbed in his chest, his stomach doing back flips as he lift doors slid open and Chad stepped off the elevator, still talking about something while walking briskly toward the main exit. Rhys clamped his mouth shut, his body getting tight and rigid as he tried to think of a way he could get out of the building before Chad, or without Chad at all preferably. Following after him with a slightly awkward pace, he opened his mouth without words in his head as to how he was going to work the situation in his favour.

"Hey, Chad. Steele's looking for you." The secretary at the front desk intervened the moment she seemed to see Chad making it for the exit.

"Oh, is she? Well, I'm sure it can probably wait-"

"Top floor, go. Now." The secretary interrupted, clearly not caring about whatever Chad's situation was.

Chad grumbled in the back of his throat before he casually tossed the bike helmet to Rhys. "Hey, you'll wait up for me, won't'cha? This shouldn't take long."

"Ah, sorry, I really gotta go, ok, bye." Rhys quickly walked by and out, practically sprinting before the automated doors slid shut behind him, his heart feeling like it was about to pound it's way out through his chest as he headed quickly back to where he'd left Jack. "Alright time to go, now." Rhys barely waited for Jack to focus his attention on Rhys before he tossed the helmet in his hands at Jack, who luckily caught it, then slipped his own knapsack off and attaching it carefully to his motorbike.

"Wow, wow, the bike is yours?"

"Yes, get on, let's go." Rhys threw a leg over one side, kicking the stand back and fishing his keys out of his pocket. "Well?" He asked when Jack still hadn't gotten on.

"Look, I just dunno how well this will go over if I'm the only one with a helmet. I mean, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure every party aboard needs one, otherwise it's illegal." Jack commented, sliding on behind Rhys, comfortably wedging himself as close to Rhys' backside as it seemed he could get before pulling the helmet on over his styled hair.

Rhys allowed a smirk cross his lips as he put the key in the ignition and turned it, the bike rumbled to life, and a second later, a helmet, matching in colour and style to Jack's, digi-structed itself around Rhys' head. "You good?" Rhys asked, a short distance radio of sorts having been installed into both helmets to make for easier conversation. Oh yeah, Rhys thought of everything, like always.

"You're a bit of a show-off, you know that?" Jack grumbled, starting loud until he realized his helmet had a mic in it too so he didn't need to yell.

"What? All sad now that you know Hyperion isn't the only one with good digi-struct capabilites? Which, in all fairness, would be pretty petty of you since Hyperion stole that technology from Atlas in the first place." Rhys commented before he reeved the crotch-rocket forward, silence prevailing until they were out of the car park. "Where are we headed anyways?"

"Just keep heading straight until I say otherwise." Jack replied, still sounding a bit pertrubed as he clung to Rhys' waist. Rhys took it as a reason to go faster, making Jack's grip change to where he was full on hugging Rhys. "Could you not?"

Rhys laughed, but slowed back down to the speed limit. it was a bit of dumb for him to do it anywasy with his eye acting up like it was lately, but he couldn't help it. "Alright, sorry, sorry. Couldn't help it."

"I still can't believe someone like you has a motorcycle. It seems so... I'uhno, unfitting I guess?"

Rhys shrugged. He knew he didn't exactly have the appearance of someone who would have a bike, but he never really cared for stereotypes. He liked speed, and he liked bikes; it'd seemed dumb for him not to get one. "Yeah well, looks aren't everything," Rhys replied, cutting through traffic with ease. "So... how was work today?"

He felt Jack's shoulders lift and fall before he responded. "It was okay. Just going through the motions as usual. What about you? Was it busy at the café?"

Rhys fought the urge to shrug too. God, this was making out to be areally boring conversation starter. "Not really. There were the usuals, not to many new faces. It was a steady, easy work day."

Rhys expected silence to follow, but instead Jack changed topics slightly. "How's working for Atlas treating? You're still just under a contract right, not like, y'know, actually working for them, right?"

"Yeah. And I mean it's alright. They have a lot more resources then other companies I'm used to doing work for, so that's nice."

"You know, I bet you Hyperion has a helluva lot more resources then them. Actually, I think we recently upgraded our Robotics Department."

"Neat. I gotta say though, working unground is probably the coolest part."

"Underground? Is that why it looked so small?"

"Yup. There are at least nine stories of underground space which is where most of the work happens. The three above ground floors are mostly for office spaces and residenacy for the on-call staff."

"Wait, _nine_ floors? Why are there so many underground?" Jack sounded incredious.

"Well, Atlas had it's beginning on Pandora, and it's not like it would've been the safest idea to build big, hulking buildings that just made easy targets, so their only other option was to build down."

"Oh... Seems almost poetic when you put it like that -take a left at the next light- but, I mean, Helios has underground floors too."

Rhys changed lanes then expertly took a left. "Okay, what kind of point are you trying to make here, Jack?"

"Just the obvious one that Hyperion is clearly better then Atlas. Pays better too, I bet."

Rhys was reaching another intersection that the light had just turned yellow at, and instead of slowing down and gliding through, he crammed on the brakes, making Jack tense behind him. "Jack, if you're trying to ask me to work for Hyperion, you could just- oh I dunno, _ask_."

Jack shifted behind him before slowly finding his voice. "Are you saying you'd say yes if I did ask?"

Rhys waited for the light to change back to green, kicking his bike forward while he answered. "No, but it would save us both from this beating-around-the-bush shit you're trying to do."

Jack huffed a sigh behind him. "C'mon, Rhysie, I took a look over your work history, you'd be a quick hire, and I think you'd fit in nicely with the Hyperion crowd."

"Really? I don't remember writing ' _pretentious_ ' on my forehead this morning," Rhys replied, unsurprised that Jack had taken a look through the work he'd done. He just hoped the other man hadn't gone looking further than that.

"Ah-ha-ha, you're so funny," Jack feigned a false laugh before getting serious again. "But seriously, you should consider applying. A young thing like you, fresh out of college, and you've already got a year of experience under your belt? Just think about it, alright, kiddo?"

"Sure." Though Rhys probably wouldn't admit it to him, he had been thinking about applying to Hyperion once he was finally done with the cafe. But not so much that he could work at Helios. It was for a chance to get off Pandora if he were being completely honest.

The rest of the drive went by pretty quietly, except for the occasional call for directions. Rhys was okay with this. It's not like the conversation had spoiled his mood or anything, it just kind of made him a little more aware of how he couldn't just continue going from contract to contract, especially now that he was going to be official quitting his stable job within the next month.

"Hey, we're here, kiddo, snap out of it." Jack, who had at some point adopted a more casual grip around Rhys' waist, poked him gently in the side, snapping him out of his deep train of thought.

Rhys pulled into the car park next to a large- clearly Hyperion owned -recreational centre. He parked carefully, finally turning off the ignition, his helmet deconstructing as the engine died down. He waited for jack to slide out from behind him before he got up, propping the bike up on its kickstand. "Is it safe to leave my helmet here, or should I just take it with me?" He asked, retrieving his knapsack before taking the helmet from Jack.

"Nah, take it with you, ya might need it," Jack winked before turning to lead the way.

Out of spite, Rhys hooked the helmet to his bike before following after. "So what are we here for, exactly?"

"You'll see, you'll see... Well, actually, how full is you bag? You might not want to go in there with that on." Jack paused at the front doors, looking Rhys from top to bottom. "Yeah, that jacket's definitely gonna have to go."

Rhys arched a brow, obliging, but pointing out, "Yeah, and I'm sure the Atlas shirt I'm wearing underneath will go over perfectly well instead." Nonetheless he still took off his Jakob's jacket and stuffed it away in his bag.

"Good point, here." Jack unzipped and shed his Hyperion sweater with the skill of someone who had done so before while wearing a bag.

"Wait, I don't-" But before Rhys could even begin to make a point, Jack had thrown his sweater at him and headed inside, leaving Rhys standing there slightly flustered. He considered just going in with his Atlas shirt there for everyone to see but... well, the sweater looked pretty comfortable... and it was pretty warm... and, oh, well, there he goes with it on, headed in after Jack. What a dork.

"Took you long enough, c'mon, princess, we don't wanna be late." Jack teased, as he had been waiting just inside the lobby. "We will have to take one stop though to get you fitted though."

Rhys eyed him. "Fitted for what exactly?" He was growing real tired of all this guessing game b.s. "And I swear to god, Jack, if you don't give me a real answer, I am leaving."

"Skates. Follow me, pumpkin."

Rhys followed, but only after giving Jack a queer look. Skates? Did Jack really make him drive all the way here so they could go roller-skating? Was the guy really aim that hard to please that he felt the need to bring Rhys to recreational centre for that? It was kind of funny, to be honest. Rhys followed quitely behind Jack, not really paying attention to where they were going until the reached a green door.

"Okay, I'll be in here putting on my skates, you head further down and there should be a digi-structor that can get you a pair of perfectly fitting skates. I nowk now that that shouldn't be a problem for you. Do you want me to take you bag in here to leave it with my stuff? Kiddo?"

Rhys blinked, a little off put that Jack was just going to leave him to figure out a place he'd never been in before, but that seemed to be the type of person Jack was turning out to be. "Uh, yeah, sure. I just go down here?"

"Yup, and you can just wait there for me, the door in is down that way too. Or if you're eager enough feel free to go ahead without me. See ya soon."

Rhys looked back down the hall, only moving once the green change room door closed to his right. This was fine. A little weird, but then maybe this is how these kinds of dates went. To be honest, Rhys usually only ever went out to resturants, or to bars and clubs for dates, so this was pretty freakin' new to him. He came to the end of the hall where the digi-structor Jack had mentioned was plain in sight next to a chair thankfully. The last thing Rhys wanted was to be standing up when a pair of rollerblades just suddenly appeared on his feet.

Taking a seat, Rhys slide out of his shoes and placed them in one of the empty cubbyholes that were provided next to the digi-structor. To his surprise, all he had to do was hit a button and the thing went to work.

However, what appeared on his feet were not roller blades, but a pair of legitimate skates. Like the those things you used on ice? Anyways, feelings of dumbness aside, Rhys actually started laughing. Jack was honestly taking him skating in the middle of summer.

"Did I miss something funny, Rhysie?" Jack came awkwardly walking down the hall toward him, now bring it to Rhys' attention the different texture the floor here had then what he'd first seen in the lobby.

"When you said skates, I thought you meant like roller skates, but you meant actual skates. I feel dumb, but in a funny it's-okay-if-you-laugh-at-me sort of way." Rhys admitted as he carefully stood up, nearly falling over at first as Jack shuffled closer. "I gotta warn you though, I haven't gone skating in years."

"Nah, I didn't think so. There aren't many rinks around here anyways. Shall we?"

"I think we shall, lead the way."

As it turned out, there weren't too many other people on the ice. There were maybe five other people at most, which made the rink look extra bigger, even though it was only about average in size. Still, it felt nice to be on the ice again, even if it was going to make Rhys' feet sore as hell in the morning, and he was definitely liable to fall on his ass at some point and make a complete idiot of himself.

"So what gave you the idea of skating anyways?" Rhys asked as he awkwardly glided on the smooth ice beside Jack who seemed to be giving no effort at all to propel himself forwards.

"I'uhno. I haven't been in awhile either and I thought it'd be fun. Correct me at anytime if I'm wrong."

Rhys smiled, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his- or rather Jack's hoodie. "No, you're not wrong. I honestly loved skating whenever I used to get the chance. You seem like the type that played a lot of hockey."

Jack shrugged. "Sometimes, when teams were uneven and they absolutely needed another person on the ice. Other then that, I didn't really skate all that much."

They did lap after lap of the rink, leisurly gliding, talking more about their experience with skating, before that ineviatbly shifted into what junior high (which had been when both of their first introductions to skating had been) had been like- how Jack used to be this nerdy little thing that spent more time learning code then anything else, which lead to Rhys getting the insight of how Jack had originally started at Hyperion as a programer, nothing special. Rhys had applauded him for making such a climb up the ladder, which Jack shrugging off the praise like it was no big deal, but to Rhys' delight he caught the slight reddening in Jack's cheeks, although it could've easily been attributed to the coldness of the rink.

By the fifth lap, both had gotten a little more comfortable and bold with their skating, Jack occasionally speeding up and doing close circles around Rhys, and Rhys turning and skating backwards while still holding the conversation.

"Is backwards the best you've got, cupcake?" Jack teased after having finished another loop around Rhys.

Rolling his eyes, Rhys considered for a second what else you could remember being able to do. "Okay, I haven't tried this in quite a long time, so if I mess up, try not to laugh too hard."

"I make no promises, let's see." Jack slowed to a stop as the managed to get into the center of the rink somehow. He looked surprisingly comfortable in just his Hyperion issued shirt even though the material looked thin.

Rhys took a deep breath before started forward, not going too fast, just heading to one side of the rink, where he apologized to someone who passed uncomfortably close in front of him. With his back against the wall, he turned back to face Jack, nodding at him before he started forward, gaining as much speed as he felt he could handle. Just before he passed in front of the other man, he curved on skate, lifting the other up and manuvering his body so that he continued to glide in the same direction, but so that he still remained facing Jack, one leg held out straight behind him, an ecstatic smile spreading across his face as he managed to keep his balance on one leg. Of course, he didn't have enough speed to keep himself going for to long, and soon he was skating back into the middle where Jack still stood.

"Okay, so it wasn't too impressive, but considering that fact that I haven't been on the ice in awhile, I'm proud of myself, so that's all that matters," Rhys said as he was met with an amused look. "You're turn to show me what you've got."

Jack gave a half shrug, holding his hadns up. "Well, I don't know if I've got any fancy moves like the one you just pulled, but I can do some pretty sick spins, I think."

Rhys grinned from ear to ear. "'You think', huh? Not to sure, are you?"

"Is that a challenge, I hear?" Jack slid closer to Rhys, eyeing down at him, the high ground being on his side because of the way Rhys' legs were spread for better balance.

"If the shoe fits, Jack." Rhys taunted, shimming backwards away from the other man, still grinning.

Jack's eyebrows bounced as he shifted direction, skating away from Rhys, gaining speed, going faster and faster until even Rhys noticed he might've been over doing it. Jack took a shaky turn to avoid just slamming into the rink wall, but instead of slowing down a bit, he forced himself faster until he was flying past Rhys. In a split second it took for him to go past, Rhys could tell even he realized he'd screwed up somewhere.

"Jack..." Rhys took a few unsure skates after Jack watching as Jack tried to slow himself down just a bit, but instead turning both skates in, they both ended up turning out, then one way, and then he was just a spinning mess of flailing arms until his back slammed against the other rink wall, his face telling Rhys how much the hit had windded him.

"Ta... da..." Jack coughed, trying to push himself off the wall before faltering back against. "I think might'a messed something up."

"Shoot, you don't think you broke something do you? Where does it hurt?" Rhys slid to a prominent stop in front of Jack, looking him up and down.

"No, I meant in the spin." Jack laughed, making Rhys feel dumb for his concern. So much so that he gave Jack a push. Which he ended up feeling bad about when Jack lost his balance and his ass hit the ice. "Wow, rude."

"Oh, dammit, I didn't mean to do that... shit," Rhys muttered under his breath as he helped the other man up, which Jack seemed to take as a chance to wrap an arm around Rhys' waist.

"It's fine, but do me a favour and just let me lean on you for a bit, I think I might've thrown out a hip."

Despite still feeling bad, Rhys snorted. "How old are you again?"

"Uh, shut up? How's that for an answer?"

Rhys snickered, but humoured the older man by staying quiet as they did a few more laps around the rink, Rhys keeping his hands inside the front pockets of the hoodie while Jack kept a strong arm around his waist, his hand resting on Rhys' hip. It was... comfortable, if Rhys had been asked to describe it. He'd forgetton how good it felt to just... be around someone romantically. Platonic relationships he had, and he'd had an entire lifetimes worth of sexual relationships before that this felt... new? No... Just, different, he guessed. Like getting back in touch with an old friend, or something. Whatever. "So what happens after this?"

"I would imagine that's up to you, princess."

Rhys pursed his lips, unsure why he'd even bothered asking. He hoped Jack didn't think his asking meant that he was bored, he was honestly having one of the best times of his life. "Why are you leaving the decision up to me?"

"Because if you haven't noticed yet, when I'm left in charge of the wheel for too long, shit tends to go south." Jack clicked he tongue, swaying his body, and therefore Rhys' so the wavered back and forth on the ice for a short distance before continuing on a straight course.

"Fair enough... ahhh, well... I dunno. It doesn't really matter right now though, does it?" Rhys deflected.

"Sure it does! Gotta have everything planned out perfectly before it happens or who knows what could go wrong!" Jack said with enough gusto that it made Rhys shrink a bit.

"You're... being sarcastic, right?" The deaden stare Jack pinned him with made him actively pale a bit.

A large grin spread across Jack's face as he shook Rhys a bit. "Of course, relax would'ya? Let loose a bit and-" Jack had begun swaying again, but a bit more aggressively until at one point, his feet went one way, and Rhys' went another way and they both ended up on their asses, a tangle of legs and an eventual fit of giggles.

"Happy with yourself now?" Rhys laughed, ignoring the eye rolls other people around them made up.

"Nope, I think I might've actually hurt something this time..." Jack chuckled... meekly? God, it was adorable whatever it was. "Up we get."

Still laughing himself, Rhys took hold of Jack's hands and using eachother as leverage, the pulled themselves up, meeting in the middle, their noses nearly touching. So fucking cliche, let me tell you. Rhys looked down, still a little red in the face from the fall as they started skating again. Jack didn't let go of his one hand for the rest of their time on the ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to come talk/yell/fight me on my tumblr: http://burlesque-articulation.tumblr.com/


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